Heliothinae
Introduction Chloridea virescens'' larva'''Heliothinae''' is a small, cosmopolitan subfamily of moths in the family Noctuidae, with about 400 described species worldwide. It includes a number of economically significant agricultural pest species, such as ''Helicoverpa armigera'' and ''Helicoverpa zea''.
Taxonomy The subfamily has been studied extensively. Important works include studies by Hardwick (1965 and 1970) and Matthews (1988).
Distribution and diversity Heliothinae is a cosmopolitan subfamily of around 400 species. Its species thrive in hot, dry regions of the world, and the subfamily has its highest species diversity in seasonally-arid tropics and subtropics, such as those found Australia, sections of Asia, the southwest region of the United States, and Africa.
Larvae The subfamily includes both specialist species, of which the larvae feed on only a limited range of plants, and polyphagous generalist species.The subfamily contains several agricultural pests, including ''Helicoverpa armigera'', ''Helicoverpa assulta'', ''Helicoverpa zea'', ''Helicoverpa punctigera'' and ''Heliothis virescens''.
Genera The subfamily includes the following genera:* ''Adisura'' Moore, 1881* ''Aedophron'' Lederer, 1857 * ''Australothis''  Matthews, 1991 * ''Baptarma''  Smith, 1904 * ''Chloridea''  Duncan & Westwood, 1841 * ''Chazaria''  Moore, 1881 * ''Derrima''  Walker, 1858 * ''Eutricopis''  Morrison, 1875 * ''Hebdomochondra''  Staudinger, 1879 * ''Helicoverpa''  Hardwick, 1965 * ''Heliocheilus''  Grote, 1865 * ''Heliolonche''  Grote, 1873 * ''Heliothis''  Ochsenheimer, 1816 * ''Heliothodes''  Hampson, 1910 * ''Melaporphyria''  Grote, 1874 * ''Micriantha'' Hampson, 1908 * ''Microhelia''  Hampson, 1910 * ''Periphanes''  Hübner, 1821 * ''Protadisura'' Matthews, 1991* ''Psectrotarsia'' Dognin, 1907* ''Pyrocleptria''  Hampson, 1903* ''Pyrrhia''  Hübner, 1821 * ''Rhodoecia''  Hampson, 1910 * ''Schinia''  Hübner, 1818 * ''Stenoecia''  Warren, 1911 * ''Timora'' Walker, 1856
Selected former genera * ''Erythroecia''  Hampson, 1910 * ''Masalia'' Moore, 1881* ''Thyreion''  Smith, 1891
References * Cho, S.; Mitchell, A.; Mitter, C.; Regier, J.; Matthews, M.; Robertson, R. 2008: Molecular phylogenetics of heliothine moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Heliothinae), with comments on the evolution of host range and pest status. ''Systematic entomology'', '''33''': 581-594. * ICZN 1985: Opinion 1312. ''Heliothis'' Ochsenheimer, 1816 (Insecta: Lepidoptera): gender and stem designated. ''Bulletin of zoological nomenclature'', '''42''': 158-159.BioStor* Lafontaine, J.D. ; Schmidt, B.C. 2010: Annotated check list of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America north of Mexico. ''ZooKeys'', '''40''': 1-239.
External links *  Subfamily info