''Heliothis'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

s in the family

Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family (biology), family of moths. Taxonomically, they are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly ...

. It was first described by

Ferdinand Ochsenheimer Ferdinand Ochsenheimer (17 March 1767 – 2 November 1822) was a German actor and entomologist (lepidopterist). Life Ochsenheimer was born and brought up in Mainz (then in the Electorate of Mainz) and began to show an interest in butterflies ...

in 1816. Some of the species have

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e which are agricultural pests on crop species such as

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source o ...

and

pigeon pea The pigeon pea (''Cajanus cajan'') or toor dal is a perennial legume from the family (biology), family Fabaceae native to the Eastern Hemisphere. The pigeon pea is widely cultivated in tropical and semitropical regions around the world, being com ...

. Some species originally in this genus have been moved to other genera, see ''

Chloridea ''Chloridea'' is a genus of owlet moths in the family Noctuidae. There are at least three described species in ''Chloridea''. The species of ''Chloridea'' were formerly members of the genus ''Heliothis'', but were moved to ''Chloridea'' when it ...

'' and ''

Helicoverpa ''Helicoverpa'' is a genus of moths in the family Noctuidae first described by David F. Hardwick in 1965. Some species are among the worst Lepidopteran agricultural pests in the world, and three species (''H. armigera'', ''H. zea'', and ''H. p ...

''.

Taxonomy

Several species of moths of agricultural importance that used to be placed in this genus now are classified as members of the genus ''Helicoverpa'', such as the corn earworm, ''

Helicoverpa zea ''Helicoverpa zea, ''commonly known as the corn earworm, is a species (formerly in the genus ''Heliothis'') in the family Noctuidae. The larva of the moth ''Helicoverpa zea'' is a major agricultural pest (organism), pest. Since it is polyphagous ...

''. The species '' subflexa'', '' tergemina'', and '' virescens'' are now members of the genus ''

''.

Description

The proboscis is fully developed. Palpi porrect (extending forward) and second joint evenly clothed with long hair. The third joint is short and depressed and a short frontal shift. Thorax and abdomen without tufts. Fore tibia has a pair of slender terminal spines, whereas mid and hind tibia also spined. Forewings with veins 8 and 9 sometimes given off from the end of the areole.

Species

* Subgenus ''Heliothis'': ** ''

Heliothis acesias ''Heliothis acesias'' is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found from north-eastern Nevada and southern Idaho, northward to southern Alberta, then eastward to southern and eastern Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces ...

'' Felder & Rogenhofer, 1872 ** ''

Heliothis australis ''Heliothis australis'' is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found from Chiapas in southern Mexico northward to New Mexico and Arizona. Adults are on wing from May to October. It was previously considered part of '' Heliothis phlo ...

'' Hardwick, 1994 ** ''

Heliothis belladonna ''Heliothis belladonna'' is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in North America, including Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), ...

'' (H. Edwards, 1881) ** ''

Heliothis borealis ''Heliothis borealis'', the boreal gem, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by George Hampson in 1903. It is found in North America from Quebec west to Alberta, and south in the mountains to south-western Montana. ...

'' (Hampson, 1903) ** '' Heliothis conifera'' (Hampson, 1913) ** ''

Heliothis cystiphora ''Heliothis cystiphora'' is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Central America, South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considera ...

'' (Wallengren, 1860) ** ''

Heliothis flavescens ''Heliothis flavescens'' is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae first described by Anthonie Johannes Theodorus Janse in 1917. It is found in Africa, including South Africa and Eswatini Eswatini, formally the Kingdom of Eswatini, al ...

'' (Janse, 1917) ** ''

Heliothis flavigera ''Heliothis flavigera'' is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae first described by George Hampson in 1907. It is found in Africa, including South Africa and Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, ...

'' (Hampson, 1907) ** '' Heliothis fuscimacula'' (Janse, 1917) ** '' Heliothis hoarei'' Matthews, 1999 ** ''

Heliothis lucilinea ''Heliothis lucilinea'' is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found on Hispaniola and Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispani ...

'' Walker, 1858 ** ''

Heliothis maritima The shoulder-striped clover (''Heliothis maritima'') is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in most of Europe, Ukraine, southern Russia and southern Siberia, Transbaikalia, Turkey, central Asia, China, Japan, the Korean Peninsu ...

'' Graslin, 1855 ** '' Heliothis metachrisea'' (Hampson, 1903) ** '' Heliothis melanoleuca'' Mitchell, 1997 ** '' Heliothis molochitina'' (Berg, 1882) ** ''

Heliothis nubigera ''Heliothis nubigera'', the eastern bordered straw, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in arid areas in the Palearctic realm. Technical description and variation The wingspan is 35–40 mm. Forewing greyish ochreous ...

'' Herrich-Schäffer,

851 __NOTOC__ Year 851 ( DCCCLI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Asia * Bagrat II Bagratuni, Armenian prince and leader of a rebellion against the Abbasid Caliphate, is captured by the Abbasi ...

/small> ** '' Heliothis ononis'' (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) ** '' Heliothis oregonica'' (H. Edwards, 1875) ** '' Heliothis pauliani'' Viette, 1959 ** ''

Heliothis peltigera ''Heliothis peltigera'', also known as the bordered straw, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. Etymology The Greek epithet "Heliothis" means "scorched by the sun", while the Latin species name ''peltigera'' means ''wearing a small shie ...

'' (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) ** ''

Heliothis perstriata ''Heliothis perstriata'' is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It has been recorded from Iran and Punjab in India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencie ...

'' (Brandt, 1941) ** '' Heliothis philbyi'' (Brandt, 1941) ** '' Heliothis phloxiphaga'' Grote & Robinson, 1867 ** ''

Heliothis proruptus ''Heliothis proruptus'' is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in North America, including California and Oregon. The wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the ...

'' Grote, 1873 ** '' Heliothis punctifera'' Walker, 1857 ** '' Heliothis roseivena'' (Walker, 1866) ** '' Heliothis scutuligera'' Guenée, 1852 ** '' Heliothis sturmhoefeli'' Draudt, 1927 ** ''

Heliothis viriplaca ''Heliothis viriplaca'', the marbled clover, is a moth of the family Noctuoidea. It is found in Europe and across the Palearctic to Central Asia then to Japan, Korea and Sakhalin. In the south, it penetrates to Kashmir and Myanmar. As a migratory ...

'' (Hufnagel, 1766) ** '' Heliothis xanthia'' Angulo y Olivares, 1999 ** '' Heliothis xanthiata'' Walker, 1865 * Subgenus ''

Masalia ''Masalia'' was a genus of moths of the family Noctuidae. It is now considered to be a subgenus of ''Heliothis''. Selected species *'' Heliothis albida'' (Hampson, 1905) *'' Heliothis philbyi'' (Brandt, 1941) *'' Heliothis perstriata'' (Brandt, ...

'': ** '' Heliothis albida'' (Hampson, 1905) ** '' Heliothis albipuncta'' (Hampson, 1910) ** '' Heliothis cruentata'' (Moore, 1881) ** '' Heliothis decorata'' (Moore, 1881) ** '' Heliothis disticta'' (Hampson, 1902) ** '' Heliothis galatheae'' (Wallengren, 1856) ** '' Heliothis leucosticta'' (Hampson, 1902) ** '' Heliothis nubila'' (Hampson, 1903) ** '' Heliothis philbyi'' (Brandt, 1941) ** ''

'' (Brandt, 1941) ** '' Heliothis quilengesi'' Seymour, 1972 ** '' Heliothis sublimis'' (Berio, 1962) ** '' Heliothis transvaalica'' (Distant, 1902) ** '' Heliothis uncta'' (Swinhoe, 1885) * Subgenus ''Timora'' (also treated as a separate genus): ** See: '' Timora''

References

External links

* Heliothinae Taxa named by Ferdinand Ochsenheimer Noctuoidea genera {{Heliothinae-stub