näkˈtüəˌdē noun plural
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Noctua, type genus + -idae
: a large nearly cosmopolitan family of medium-sized stout-bodied dull-colored night-flying moths with usually naked larvae that include many destructive agricultural pests (as the cutworms and armyworms) — see noctua , owlet moth ; compare bollworm , cotton leafworm , dagger moth , underwing