Xestia Ditrapezium on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
''Xestia'' is a genus of
This genus includes many species living at high latitudes and altitudes, in tundra and taiga ecosystems. Some have two-year (semivoltine) biological life cycle, life cycles and only occur as adults every other year; typically the caterpillar larva overwinters to pupate in spring, with the moths flying around midsummer, but some species Pupa#Emergence, eclose later, their moths flying from late summer into autumn. ''Xestia'' caterpillars are generally stout and crypsis, cryptically colored; in some species they have quite prominent dark lengthwise spots, but may e.g. be entirely green or whatever else gives best camouflage.
Some species' larvae are notoriously polyphagous, e.g. the setaceous Hebrew character (''X. c-nigrum''), the food of which includes all sorts of core eudicots – including solanaceae and others which are poisonous to many herbivores – as well as some monocots. The latter are mainly Poaceae however, and few other monocots are utilized by ''Xestia'' larvae in general. Ericaceae, as well as Betulaceae and Poaceae, are key food plants for many of the high-latitude species. Gymnosperms are food plants of secondary importance in this genus, but Pinaceae form the mainstay or exclusive food of some species which occasionally become more than nuisance pest (organism), pests. Altogether, ''Xestia'' moths are only known as major pests within limited areas or in regard to specific plants, in which cases damage can be economically significant though.
Even though the larval food plants of many ''Xestia'' species are not or insufficiently known, those on record are from all major lineages of core eudicots. Among the basal (evolution), basal core eudicots, Caryophyllales (especially Polygonaceae) are particularly significant, of the asterids the Asterales (especially Asteraceae), Ericales (especially Ericaceae) and Lamiales (especially Plantaginaceae), and of the rosids the Malpighiales (numerous families) and Rosales (especially Rosaceae). Less important asterid order (biology), orders among ''Xestia'' food plants are for example Dipsacales, Gentianales and Solanales, of the rosids e.g. Fabales, Fagales, Malvales, Myrtales and Sapindales. More basal (Mesangiospermae, mes)angiosperms do not seem to be significant as ''Xestia'' food plants, at least not in temperate and cooler regions.
As far as is known, ''Xestia'' adults are nocturnal or crepuscular (except of course the Midnight sun, high-latitude species), but are often attracted to lights at night. They general feed on flowers with relatively short or no corolla (flower), corolla, and will also drink other sugary liquids.
Junior synonyms and other obsolete generic names for ''Xestia'' moths are:
* ''Agrotimorpha'' Barnes & Benjamin, 1929
* ''Agrotiphila'' Grote, 1876
* ''Amathes'' Hübner, [1821]
* ''Anomogyna'' Staudinger, 1871
* ''Archanarta'' Barnes & Benjamin, 1929
* ''Ashworthia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Asworthia'' (''lapsus'')
* ''Barrovia'' Barnes & McDunnough, 1916
* ''Calamogyna'' (''lapsus'')
* ''Calanomogyna'' Beck, 1996
* ''Calocestia'' (''lapsus'')
* ''Caloxestia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Castanasta'' Beck, 1996
* ''Cenigria'' Beck, 1996
* ''Epipsiliamorpha'' Barnes & Benjamin, 1929
* ''Ericathia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Hiptelia'' Guenée, 1852
* ''Hypoxestia'' Hampson, 1903
* ''Hyptioxesta'' Rebel, 1901
* ''Knappia'' Nye, 1975
* ''Lankialaia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Lena'' Herz, 1903 (''non'' Casey, 1886 Sunius, preoccupied)
* ''Litaea'' (''lapsus'')
* ''Lorezea'' (''lapsus'')
* ''Lorezia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Lytaea'' Stephens, 1829
* ''Megarhomba'' Beck, 1996
* ''Megasema'' Hübner, [1821]
* ''Monticollia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Pachnobia'' Guenée, 1852
* ''Palaeamathes'' Boursin, 1964
* ''Paramathes'' Boursin, 1964
* ''Palkermes'' Beck, 1996
* ''Palkkermes'' (''lapsus'')
* ''Peranomogyna'' Beck, 1996
* ''Platagrotis'' Smith, 1890
* ''Pteroscia'' Morrison, 1875
* ''Schoyenia'' Aurivillius, 1883
* ''Segetia'' Stephens, 1829
* ''Synanomogyna'' Beck, 1996
* ''Xenopachnobia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Xestia albuncula'' (Eversmann, 1851)
* ''Xestia alpicola'' – northern dart (type of ''Xenopachnobia'')
* ''Xestia badicollis'' – northern variable dart, northern conifer dart, white pine cutworm (possibly belongs in ''X. elimata'')
* ''Xestia borealis'' (Nordström, 1933)
* ''Xestia brunneopicta'' (Matsumura, 1925)
* ''Xestia caelebs''
* ''Xestia dilucida'' – dull reddish dart, reddish heath dart
* ''Xestia distensa'' (Eversmann, 1851) (sometimes in ''X. laetabilis'')
* ''Xestia elimata'' – southern variable dart, variable climbing caterpillar
* ''Xestia fabulosa'' (Ferguson, 1965)
* ''Xestia fennica'' (Brandt, 1936)
* ''Xestia gelida'' (Sparre-Schneider, 1883) (type of ''Peranomogyna'')
* ''Xestia imperita'' (Hübner, [1831])
* ''Xestia infimatis'' Grote, 1880 (tentatively placed here, may belong in subgenus ''Xestia'')
* ''Xestia laetabilis'' (Zetterstedt, [1839]) (type of ''Anomogyna'')
* ''Xestia mustelina'' Smith, 1900
* ''Xestia perquiritata'' – boomerang dart
* ''Xestia praevia'' (possibly belongs in ''X. elimata'')
* ''Xestia rhaetica'' (type of ''Synanomogyna'')
* ''Xestia sincera'' (type of ''Calanomogyna'')
* ''Xestia speciosa'' (type of ''Platagrotis'')
* ''Xestia vernilis'' Grote, 1879
* ''Xestia viridiscens'' (Turati, 1919) (sometimes in ''X. speciosa'')
* ''Xestia yatsugadakeana'' (Matsumura, 1926)
* ''Xestia alaskae'' (type of ''Epipsiliamorpha''; tentatively placed here, may belong in subgenus ''Schoyenia'')
* ''Xestia atrata'' (Morrison, 1875) (type of ''Pteroscia'')
** ''Xestia atrata atrata'' (Morrison, 1874)
** ''Xestia atrata filipjevi'' (Shljuzhko, 1926)
** ''Xestia atrata haraldi'' Fibiger, 1997
** ''Xestia atrata ursae'' (McDunnough, 1940)
** ''Xestia atrata yukona'' (McDunnough, 1921)
* ''Xestia kolymae'' (Herz, 1903)
* ''Xestia kruegeri'' Kononenko & Schmitz, 2004
* ''Xestia laxa'' Lafontaine & Mikkola, 1998
* ''Xestia lorezi'' (type of ''Lorezia'')
* ''Xestia lupa'' Lafontaine & Mikkola, 1998
* ''Xestia penthima'' (Erschoff, 1870) (type of ''Hyptioxesta'')
* ''Xestia tecta'' (Hübner, [1808]) (type of ''Pachnobia'')
** ''Xestia tecta tecta'' (Hübner, [1808])
** ''Xestia tecta tectoides'' (Corti, 1926)
If the affiliations of the subgenera are not very much mistaken, most remaining cases of erroneous assignment to ''Xestia'' are to be found among the species of uncertain group affiliation here; for the recently described ''Xestia kecskerago, X. kecskerago'' for example it was explicitly stated that placement in the present genus is tentative. Other species of unclear affiliation are so little known that even their validity remains questionable, though this group equally well seems to contain quite distinct lineages of true ''Xestia''. Also, there are some obvious species groups which do not easily fit into the subgeneric scheme above.
''Xestia''
Version of 5 November 2004. Retrieved 18 January 2011. * (2009): Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms &ndash
Version of 31 December 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2011. * (2003)
A revision of the Palaearctic species of the ''Eugraphe'' Hübner, [1821] 1816 generic complex. Part I. The genera ''Eugraphe'' and ''Goniographa'' (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)
(PDF) ''Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae'' 48(4): 333–374. {{Taxonbar, from=Q1305617 Xestia, Noctuoidea genera Taxa named by Jacob Hübner
noctuid moth
The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. Taxonomically, they are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly changing, along w ...
s (family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Noctuidae). They are the type genus
In biological taxonomy, the type genus (''genus typica'') is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name.
Zoological nomenclature
According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearin ...
of the tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
Xestiini in subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...
Noctuinae
The Noctuinae are a subfamily of the family Noctuidae, and is composed of moths. The larvae of many species feed on roots or stems of various grasses. Some are generalist feeders which makes them potential pests.
Noctuid systematics is in a ...
, though some authors merge this tribe with the Noctuini
Noctuini is a Tribe (biology), tribe of owlet moths in the family Noctuidae. There are at least 520 described species in Noctuini.
Noctuini genera
* ''Abagrotis'' Smith, 1890
* ''Actebia'' Stephens, 1829
* ''Adelphagrotis'' Smith, 1890
* ''Agnor ...
. Species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
in this genus are commonly known as "clays
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
", "darts
Darts is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small projectile point, sharp-pointed projectile, projectiles known as dart (missile), darts at a round shooting target, target known as a #Dartboard, dartboard.
Point ...
" or " rustics", but such names are commonplace among Noctuidae. ''Xestia'' moths have a wide distribution, though they most prominently occur in the Holarctic
The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical reg ...
.
With almost 200 species included at one time, ''Xestia'' was something of a "wastebin genus". But almost half of the traditional species are now placed elsewhere (see #Systematics and taxonomy, below), and some of the remaining ones are liable to be assigned to another genus also. On the other hand, new moths that probably do belong in this genus are still being discovered (e.g. ''Xestia hypographa, X. hypographa'', which led to the 2002 transfer of ''Xestia ornata, X. ornata'' from ''Eugraphe'' to here). Thus, unless there are drastic Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic changes in the future, ''Xestia'' is likely to remain one of the larger noctuine genera.
Ecology
''Xestia'' adults are usually of medium size and robust build, with stout hairy bodies and strong wings. Some are quite colorful, with bold lighter markings and hindwings in delicate yellowish, reddish or bluish hues. Generally, they are crypsis, cryptic while at rest however, with unmarked pale or dull brownish hindwings; they do not have metallic hues and few species possess obvious Eyespot (mimicry), eyespots.See references in Savela (2009)
This genus includes many species living at high latitudes and altitudes, in tundra and taiga ecosystems. Some have two-year (semivoltine) biological life cycle, life cycles and only occur as adults every other year; typically the caterpillar larva overwinters to pupate in spring, with the moths flying around midsummer, but some species Pupa#Emergence, eclose later, their moths flying from late summer into autumn. ''Xestia'' caterpillars are generally stout and crypsis, cryptically colored; in some species they have quite prominent dark lengthwise spots, but may e.g. be entirely green or whatever else gives best camouflage.
Some species' larvae are notoriously polyphagous, e.g. the setaceous Hebrew character (''X. c-nigrum''), the food of which includes all sorts of core eudicots – including solanaceae and others which are poisonous to many herbivores – as well as some monocots. The latter are mainly Poaceae however, and few other monocots are utilized by ''Xestia'' larvae in general. Ericaceae, as well as Betulaceae and Poaceae, are key food plants for many of the high-latitude species. Gymnosperms are food plants of secondary importance in this genus, but Pinaceae form the mainstay or exclusive food of some species which occasionally become more than nuisance pest (organism), pests. Altogether, ''Xestia'' moths are only known as major pests within limited areas or in regard to specific plants, in which cases damage can be economically significant though.
Even though the larval food plants of many ''Xestia'' species are not or insufficiently known, those on record are from all major lineages of core eudicots. Among the basal (evolution), basal core eudicots, Caryophyllales (especially Polygonaceae) are particularly significant, of the asterids the Asterales (especially Asteraceae), Ericales (especially Ericaceae) and Lamiales (especially Plantaginaceae), and of the rosids the Malpighiales (numerous families) and Rosales (especially Rosaceae). Less important asterid order (biology), orders among ''Xestia'' food plants are for example Dipsacales, Gentianales and Solanales, of the rosids e.g. Fabales, Fagales, Malvales, Myrtales and Sapindales. More basal (Mesangiospermae, mes)angiosperms do not seem to be significant as ''Xestia'' food plants, at least not in temperate and cooler regions.
As far as is known, ''Xestia'' adults are nocturnal or crepuscular (except of course the Midnight sun, high-latitude species), but are often attracted to lights at night. They general feed on flowers with relatively short or no corolla (flower), corolla, and will also drink other sugary liquids.
Systematics and taxonomy
Several species formerly placed here are now in ''Agnorisma'' and ''Pseudohermonassa''; whether other genera are accepted varies among authors; ''Estimata'', ''Hemigraphiphora'' and ''Perinaenia'' are provisionally considered distinct here. "''Xestia''" ''versuta'' does not seem to belong in the present genus; it may be an aberrant member of ''Goniographa'', but until this is resolved it is here treated under its original name ''Eugraphe versuta''. Furthermore, a case for separation has in particular been made for ''Amathes'' (possibly including ''Agrotiphila''), ''Lytaea'', ''Megasema'' (possibly including ''Megarhomba''), ''Segetia'' and ''Schoyenia'' (with ''Archanarta'' occasionally also separate), but these are here included in ''Xestia''. Some of them are, however, recognized as subgenera, and if the genus is split further would be first to become elevated in rank again. There is no real good justification for either treatment, except that the lengthy process of a thorough revision of noctuine systematics and Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy has only progressed so far. H. Beck in 1996 published a comprehensive taxonomic catalogue, nomenclature, introducing generic names for most European groups of (presumably) related species. While few of these seem to stand any chance ever to be widely recognized as distinct genera, this step is likely to have made available a generic name for any taxa that are eventually split from ''Xestia sensu stricto''.Pitkin & Jenkins (2004), Beck (2006), and see references in Savela (2009)Synonyms
Junior synonyms and other obsolete generic names for ''Xestia'' moths are:
* ''Agrotimorpha'' Barnes & Benjamin, 1929
* ''Agrotiphila'' Grote, 1876
* ''Amathes'' Hübner, [1821]
* ''Anomogyna'' Staudinger, 1871
* ''Archanarta'' Barnes & Benjamin, 1929
* ''Ashworthia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Asworthia'' (''lapsus'')
* ''Barrovia'' Barnes & McDunnough, 1916
* ''Calamogyna'' (''lapsus'')
* ''Calanomogyna'' Beck, 1996
* ''Calocestia'' (''lapsus'')
* ''Caloxestia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Castanasta'' Beck, 1996
* ''Cenigria'' Beck, 1996
* ''Epipsiliamorpha'' Barnes & Benjamin, 1929
* ''Ericathia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Hiptelia'' Guenée, 1852
* ''Hypoxestia'' Hampson, 1903
* ''Hyptioxesta'' Rebel, 1901
* ''Knappia'' Nye, 1975
* ''Lankialaia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Lena'' Herz, 1903 (''non'' Casey, 1886 Sunius, preoccupied)
* ''Litaea'' (''lapsus'')
* ''Lorezea'' (''lapsus'')
* ''Lorezia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Lytaea'' Stephens, 1829
* ''Megarhomba'' Beck, 1996
* ''Megasema'' Hübner, [1821]
* ''Monticollia'' Beck, 1996
* ''Pachnobia'' Guenée, 1852
* ''Palaeamathes'' Boursin, 1964
* ''Paramathes'' Boursin, 1964
* ''Palkermes'' Beck, 1996
* ''Palkkermes'' (''lapsus'')
* ''Peranomogyna'' Beck, 1996
* ''Platagrotis'' Smith, 1890
* ''Pteroscia'' Morrison, 1875
* ''Schoyenia'' Aurivillius, 1883
* ''Segetia'' Stephens, 1829
* ''Synanomogyna'' Beck, 1996
* ''Xenopachnobia'' Beck, 1996
Species
The 110 or so species here placed in ''Xestia'' are divided among five subgenera. Two of these are further divided into groups, which are based on phenetic similarity however and may or may not form clades and/or species complexes. Some of these would presumably warrant recognition as subgenera if the present-day subgenera are split off; the subgeneric names that would apply are given (if known) in the addition to the species-group names.Pitkin & Jenkins (2004), and see references in Savela (2009) About one-third of the species here included in ''Xestia'' are ''incertae sedis'' (of unclear assignment). Among this group are a few species which are extremely little known, having been described long ago but studied only once or twice since then.Subgenus ''Anomogyna''
* ''Xestia albuncula'' (Eversmann, 1851)
* ''Xestia alpicola'' – northern dart (type of ''Xenopachnobia'')
* ''Xestia badicollis'' – northern variable dart, northern conifer dart, white pine cutworm (possibly belongs in ''X. elimata'')
* ''Xestia borealis'' (Nordström, 1933)
* ''Xestia brunneopicta'' (Matsumura, 1925)
* ''Xestia caelebs''
* ''Xestia dilucida'' – dull reddish dart, reddish heath dart
* ''Xestia distensa'' (Eversmann, 1851) (sometimes in ''X. laetabilis'')
* ''Xestia elimata'' – southern variable dart, variable climbing caterpillar
* ''Xestia fabulosa'' (Ferguson, 1965)
* ''Xestia fennica'' (Brandt, 1936)
* ''Xestia gelida'' (Sparre-Schneider, 1883) (type of ''Peranomogyna'')
* ''Xestia imperita'' (Hübner, [1831])
* ''Xestia infimatis'' Grote, 1880 (tentatively placed here, may belong in subgenus ''Xestia'')
* ''Xestia laetabilis'' (Zetterstedt, [1839]) (type of ''Anomogyna'')
* ''Xestia mustelina'' Smith, 1900
* ''Xestia perquiritata'' – boomerang dart
* ''Xestia praevia'' (possibly belongs in ''X. elimata'')
* ''Xestia rhaetica'' (type of ''Synanomogyna'')
* ''Xestia sincera'' (type of ''Calanomogyna'')
* ''Xestia speciosa'' (type of ''Platagrotis'')
* ''Xestia vernilis'' Grote, 1879
* ''Xestia viridiscens'' (Turati, 1919) (sometimes in ''X. speciosa'')
* ''Xestia yatsugadakeana'' (Matsumura, 1926)
Subgenus ''Megasema''
''ashworthii''/"''Ashworthia''" group
* ''Xestia ashworthii'' – Ashworth's rustic (type of ''Ashworthia'')
* ''Xestia okakensis'' Packard, 1867
** ''Xestia okakensis okakensis'' Packard, 1867
** ''Xestia okakensis morandi'' (Benjamin, 1934) (sometimes considered distinct species)
* ''Xestia scropulana'' Morrison, 1874 (formerly in ''X. wockei'')
* ''Xestia wockei''
''kollari'' group
* ''Xestia kollari''
''c-nigrum'' group
* ''Xestia c-nigrum'' – setaceous Hebrew character, "spotted cutworm" (type of ''Cenigria'')
* ''Xestia ditrapezium'' – triple-spotted clay
* ''Xestia dolosa'' – greater black-letter dart, woodland spotted cutworm, "spotted cutworm"
* ''Xestia praetermissa'' Warren (possibly belongs in ''X. c-nigrum'')
* ''Xestia triangulum'' – double square-spot (type of ''Megasema'')
Species group unknown
* ''Xestia inuitica'' Lafontaine & Hensel, 1998
Subgenus ''Pachnobia''
* ''Xestia alaskae'' (type of ''Epipsiliamorpha''; tentatively placed here, may belong in subgenus ''Schoyenia'')
* ''Xestia atrata'' (Morrison, 1875) (type of ''Pteroscia'')
** ''Xestia atrata atrata'' (Morrison, 1874)
** ''Xestia atrata filipjevi'' (Shljuzhko, 1926)
** ''Xestia atrata haraldi'' Fibiger, 1997
** ''Xestia atrata ursae'' (McDunnough, 1940)
** ''Xestia atrata yukona'' (McDunnough, 1921)
* ''Xestia kolymae'' (Herz, 1903)
* ''Xestia kruegeri'' Kononenko & Schmitz, 2004
* ''Xestia laxa'' Lafontaine & Mikkola, 1998
* ''Xestia lorezi'' (type of ''Lorezia'')
* ''Xestia lupa'' Lafontaine & Mikkola, 1998
* ''Xestia penthima'' (Erschoff, 1870) (type of ''Hyptioxesta'')
* ''Xestia tecta'' (Hübner, [1808]) (type of ''Pachnobia'')
** ''Xestia tecta tecta'' (Hübner, [1808])
** ''Xestia tecta tectoides'' (Corti, 1926)
Subgenus ''Schoyenia''
* ''Xestia aequaeva'' (Benjamin, 1934)
** ''Xestia aequaeva aequaeva'' (Benjamin, 1934)
** ''Xestia aequaeva glaucina'' Lafontaine & Mikkola, 1996
* ''Xestia brachiptera'' (Kononenko, 1981)
* ''Xestia bryanti'' (Benjamin, 1933) (= ''X. acraea'')
* ''Xestia fergusoni'' Lafontaine, 1983
* ''Xestia intermedia'' (Kononenko, 1981)
* ''Xestia liquidaria'' (Eversmann, 1848) (= ''X. arctica'' Aurivillius, 1883 (''non'' Zetterstedt, 1839: Xestia speciosa, preoccupied), ''X. fasciata, X. unifasciata''; type of ''Schoyenia'')
* ''Xestia lyngei'' (Rebel, 1923) (type of ''Lankialaia'')
** ''Xestia lyngei lyngei'' (Rebel, 1923)
** ''Xestia lyngei aborigenea'' Kononenko, 1983
** ''Xestia lyngei lankialai'' (Grönblom, 1962))
* ''Xestia magadanensis'' Kononenko & Lafontaine, 1983
* ''Xestia quieta'' (type of ''Archanarta'')
* ''Xestia similis'' Kononenko 1981
* ''Xestia thula'' Lafontaine & Kononenko, 1983
* ''Xestia woodi'' Lafontaine & Kononenko, 1983
Subgenus ''Xestia''
''baja''/"''Amathes''" group
* ''Xestia baja'' – dotted clay (type of ''Amathes'')
* ''Xestia smithii'' – Smith's dart (possibly belongs in ''X. baja'')
''castanea''/"''Castanasta''/''Ericathia''" group
* ''Xestia agathina'' – heath rustic (type of ''Ericathia'')
* ''Xestia castanea'' – grey rustic, The Neglected (type of ''Castanasta'')
* ''Xestia jordani'' (Turati, 1912)
''collina''/"''Monticollia''" group
* ''Xestia collina'' (type of ''Monticollia'')
''ochreago'' group
* ''Xestia ochreago''
''sexstrigata''/"''Lytaea''" group
* ''Xestia sexstrigata'' – six-striped rustic (type of ''Lytaea'')
''stigmatica''/"''Megarhomba''" group (= "''rhomboidea'' group", misidentification)
* ''Xestia sareptana''
* ''Xestia stigmatica'' – square-spotted clay (type of ''Megarhomba'')
''trifida''/"''Caloxestia''" group
* ''Xestia trifida'' (type of ''Caloxestia'')
''xanthographa''/"''Segetia''" group
* ''Xestia cohaesa''
* ''Xestia kermesina'' (Mabille, 1869) (type of ''Palkermes'')
** ''Xestia kermesina kermesina'' (Mabille, 1869)
** ''Xestia kermesina virescens'' Turati, 1912
* ''Xestia palaestinensis''
* ''Xestia xanthographa'' – square-spot rustic (type of ''Segetia'')
Species group unknown
* ''Xestia badinosis'' (Grote, 1874)
* ''Xestia bolteri''
* ''Xestia cinerascens'' (Smith, 1891)
* ''Xestia conchis''
* ''Xestia dyris'' (Zerny, 1934) (tentatively placed here)
* ''Xestia finatimis'' Lafontaine, 1998
* ''Xestia fuscostigma'' (Bremer, 1861)
* ''Xestia lithoplana'' Hreblay & Ronkay 1998
* ''Xestia mejiasi'' Pinker, 1961
* ''Xestia normaniana'' – Norman's dart
* ''Xestia oblata'' (Morrison, 1875)
* ''Xestia substrigata'' (Smith, 1895)
* ''Xestia verniloides'' Lafontaine, 1998
''Incertae sedis''
If the affiliations of the subgenera are not very much mistaken, most remaining cases of erroneous assignment to ''Xestia'' are to be found among the species of uncertain group affiliation here; for the recently described ''Xestia kecskerago, X. kecskerago'' for example it was explicitly stated that placement in the present genus is tentative. Other species of unclear affiliation are so little known that even their validity remains questionable, though this group equally well seems to contain quite distinct lineages of true ''Xestia''. Also, there are some obvious species groups which do not easily fit into the subgeneric scheme above.
"''Agrotiphila''" group
* ''Xestia colorado'' (Smith, 1891) (type of ''Agrotiphila'')
* ''Xestia maculata'' (Smith, 1893)
* ''Xestia staudingeri'' (type of ''Agrotimorpha'')
"''Hypoxestia''" group
* ''Xestia dilatata'' (Butler, 1879) (type of ''Hypoxestia'')
''ornata'' group
* ''Xestia hypographa''
* ''Xestia ornata'' (formerly in ''Eugraphe'')
"''Palaeamathes''" group
* ''Xestia hoenei'' (Boursin, 1954) (type of ''Palaeamathes'')
"''Paramathes''" group
* ''Xestia perigrapha'' (Püngeler, 1899) (type of ''Paramathes'')
''retracta''/''tenuis'' group
* ''Xestia basistriga'' Yoshimoto, 1995
* ''Xestia bifurcata'' Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998
* ''Xestia coronata'' Hacker & Peks, 1999
* ''Xestia destituta'' (Leech, 1900)
* ''Xestia forsteri'' Boursin, 1964
* ''Xestia hemitragidia'' (Boursin 1964)
* ''Xestia nyei'' Plante, 1979 (= ''X. longijuxta'')
* ''Xestia retracta''
* ''Xestia schaeferi'' Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998
* ''Xestia semiretracta'' Yoshimoto, 1995
* ''Xestia subforsteri'' Hreblay, & Ronkay 1998
* ''Xestia tenuis'' (Butler 1889)
* ''Xestia trifurcata'' Hacker & Peks, 1999
"Yellow hindwings" group
* ''Xestia bryocharis'' Boursin, 1948
* ''Xestia draesekei'' Boursin, 1948
* ''Xestia efflorescens''
* ''Xestia flavilinea'' Wileman, 1912
* ''Xestia pseudoaccipiter'' Boursin, 1948
* ''Xestia semiherbida'' (Walker, 1857)
* ''Xestia sternecki'' Boursin, 1948
* ''Xestia triphaenoides'' Boursin, 1948
Species group unknown
* ''Xestia agalma'' (Püngeler, 1900)
* ''Xestia albifurca'' (Erschoff, [1877])
* ''Xestia cervina'' (Moore, 1867)
* ''Xestia consanguinea'' (Moore, 1881)
* ''Xestia costaestriga'' (Staudinger, 1895)
* ''Xestia crassipuncta'' (Wileman & West, 1928)
* ''Xestia homochroma'' (Hampson 1903)
* ''Xestia isochroma'' (Hampson 1903)
* ''Xestia isolata''
* ''Xestia junctura'' (Moore, 1881)
* ''Xestia kecskerago'' Gyulai & L.Ronkay, 2006
* ''Xestia latinigra'' (Prout, 1928)
* ''Xestia mandarina'' (Leech, 1900)
* ''Xestia olivascens'' (Hampson, 1894)
* ''Xestia renalis''
* ''Xestia rosifunda'' (Dyar, 1916)
* ''Xestia senescens'' (Staudinger, 1881) (formerly in ''Eugraphe'')
* ''Xestia tamsi'' (Wileman & West, 1929)
* ''Xestia vidua'' (Staudinger, 1892)
* ''Xestia yamanei'' Chang, 1991
Footnotes
References
* (1996): Systematische Liste der Noctuidae Europas. (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) ["Systematic list of European Noctuidae"]. ''Neue Entomologische Nachrichten'' 36: 1-122. * (2004): Butterflies and Moths of the World, Generic Names and their Type-species &ndash''Xestia''
Version of 5 November 2004. Retrieved 18 January 2011. * (2009): Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms &ndash
Version of 31 December 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2011. * (2003)
A revision of the Palaearctic species of the ''Eugraphe'' Hübner, [1821] 1816 generic complex. Part I. The genera ''Eugraphe'' and ''Goniographa'' (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)
(PDF) ''Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae'' 48(4): 333–374. {{Taxonbar, from=Q1305617 Xestia, Noctuoidea genera Taxa named by Jacob Hübner