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Caterpillars of Eastern Forests

Cutworms or Owlet Moths (Family Noctuidae)

Noctuids are the largest family of Lepidoptera, accounting for more than one-quarter of all described species of butterflies and moths. Owlet moth caterpillars are diverse in both habit and form, and no single character can be used to diagnose the family. Most are rather stout, nearly smooth with inconspicuous setae, rendered in cryptic shades brown and green. Others bear abundant secondary (unbarbed) setae and resemble tiger moth caterpillars. Their crochets are usually of a single length, arranged in a linear series (figure 3). In arctiids the outermost crochets are reduced in size (figure 4), and the hairs are commonly barbed. Species described in this guide include foliage, flower, lichen, and litter feeders, as well as a handful that attack and consume other caterpillars.

Cherry Dagger Moth (Acronicta hasta)		Ochre Dagger Moth (Acronicta morula)	Lobelia Dagger Moth (Acronicta lobeliae)	Splendid Dagger Moth (Acronicta superans)
Smartweed Caterpillar (Acronicta oblinita) [Smeared Dagger Moth]	Afflicted Dagger Moth (Acronicta afflicta)	Hesitant Dagger Moth Complex (Acronicta haesitata complex)	Frosted Dagger Caterpillar (Acronicta hastulifera)	Long-winged Dagger Moth (Acronicta longa)
Impressed Dagger Moth (Acronicta impressa)	American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana)	Yellow-haired Dagger Moth (Acronicta impleta)	Harris's Three-spot (Harrisimemna trisignata)	Tufted White Pine Caterpillar (Panthea pallescens = P. furcilla) [Eastern Panthea]
The Laugher (Charadra deridens)	Yellow-marked Caterpillar (Raphia frater) [The Brother]	Grapevine Epimenis (Psychomorpha epimenis)	Eight-spotted Forester (Alypia octomaculata)	Pearly Wood-nymph (Eudryas unio)
Confused Meganola (Meganola minuscula)	Variegated Midge (Elaphria versicolor)	Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidoides)	Olive Angle Shades (Phlogophora iris)	Sloping Sallow (Epiglaea decliva)
Silky Sallow (Chaetoglaea sericea)	Red-winged Sallow (Xystopeplus rufago)	Fawn Sallow (Copipanolis styracis)	Fringe-tree Sallow (Adita chionanthi)	Green Fruitworm (Lithophane antennata)
Nameless Pinion (Lithophane innominata)	Shivering Pinion (Lithophane querquera)	Mustard Sallow (Pyreferra ?hesperidago)	Jocose Sallow (Feralia jocosa)	Mottled Gray Cutworm (Abagrotis alternata) [Greater Red Dart]
Speckled Green Fruitworm (Orthosia hibisci)	Subdued Quaker (Orthosia revicta)	Ruby Quaker (Orthosia rubescens)	Intractable Quaker (Himella intractata)	Distinct Quaker (Achatia distincta)
Confused Woodgrain (Morrisonia confusa)	Girlfriend Underwing (Catocala amica)	Connubial Underwing (Catocala connubialis)	Little Nymph (Catocala micronympha)	Andromeda Underwing (Catocala andromedae)
Sweetheart Underwing (Catocala ultronia)	Ilia Underwing (Catocala ilia)	Lunate Zale (Zale lunata)	Colorful Zale (Zale minerea)	Oblique Zale (Zale obliqua)
Maple Looper Moth (Parallelia bistriaris)	Common Oak Moth (Phoberia atomaris)	Red-lined Panopoda (Panopoda rufimargo)	Baltimore Bomolocha (Bomolocha baltimoralis)	Red-footed Bomolocha (Lomanaltes eductalis)
Pale Baileya (Baileya dormitans)	Glossy Black Idia (Idia lubricalis)	Early Zanclognatha (Polypogon cruralis)	Spruce Harlequin (Palthis angulalis)

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