Annotated check list of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America north of Mexico

Abstract

An annotated check list of the North American species of Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera) is presented, consisting of 3693 species. One-hundred and sixty-six taxonomic changes are proposed, consisting of 13 species-group taxa accorded species status (stat. n. and stat. rev.), 2 revalidated genus-group taxa (stat. rev.), and 2 family-group taxa raised to subfamily. Sixty-nine species-group taxa are downgraded to junior synonyms or subspecies (stat. n., syn. rev., and syn. n.), and 6 genera relegated to synonymy. Sixty-seven new or revised generic combinations are proposed. No new taxa are described. Six non-native species now believed to be established in North America are documented for the first time, namely Simplicia cornicalis (Fabricius, 1794), Nola cucullatella (Linnaeus, 1758), Tyta luctuosa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Oligia latruncula ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Niphonyx segregata (Butler, 1878) and Hecatera dysodea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775). The check list is arranged according to species membership in higher-level taxa (family, subfamily, tribe, subtribe), based on the most recent working hypotheses of a comprehensive phylogenetic framework for the Noctuoidea.