63. Noctuidae As currently defined, the Noctuidae include only those groups with a trifid hindwing venation (Lafontaine and Fibiger 2006), to the exclusion of the Erebidae, which were formerly included here. Most Noctuoidea species of economic concern fall in this group, such as the cutworms, armyworms and earworms. Th ere are about 8,000 named species of Noctuidae globally, reaching their greatest diversity in temperate regions, particluarly grasslands and steppe habitats. Approximately 2,500 noctuid species occur in North America; 643 are reported herein from AB. 63.1. Plusiinae A group of primarily medium-sized (30–50 mm wingspan) moths with many colorful and attractive species. Many have metallic marks on the forewings, and some are diurnal flower visitors. Th e subfamily is defined by the quadrifid hindwing venation and lashed eyes. Th e larvae of most species are semi-loopers with a reduced number of prolegs. Th ey feed on the foliage of a wide variety of plants, and several (e.g., Trichoplusia spp.) are important agricultural pests. There are approximately 400 species of Plusiinae in the world, centered in temperate habitats in the northern hemisphere. Approximately 80 species in about 24 genera occur in North America; 41 species are known from AB. Th e North American species have been revised by McDunnough (1944b) and more recently by Lafontaine and Poole (1991).

{"references": ["Lafontaine JD, Fibiger M (2006) Revised higher classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera). Th e Canadian Entomologist 138: 610 - 635.", "McDunnough JH (1944 b) Revision of the North American genera and species of the phalaenid subfamily Plusiinae. Memoirs of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 2: 175 - 232.", "Lafontaine JD, Poole RW (1991) Noctuoidea: Noctuidae: Plusiinae. Fasc. 25.1. In: Dominick RB, Ferguson DC, Franclemont JG, Hodges RW, Munroe EG (Eds) Th e moths of America north of Mexico. Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington, D. C., 182 pp."]}

Published as part of Pohl, Greg, Anweiler, Gary, Schmidt, Christian & Kondla, Norbert, 2010, An annotated list of the Lepidoptera of Alberta, Canada, pp. 1-549 in ZooKeys 38 (38) on pages 253-254, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.38.383, http://zenodo.org/record/576629