Xestia

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Cladus: Macroheterocera
Superfamilia: Noctuoidea

Familia: Noctuidae
Subfamilia: Noctuinae
Tribus: Noctuini
Subtribus: Noctuina
Genus: Xestia
Subgenera: Anomogyna – Megasema – Pachnobia – Raddea – Schoyenia – Xestia

Overview of assigned species

X. aequaeva – X. alaskae – X. albuncula – X. alexis – X. alpicola – X. alpina – X. anaxia – X. annapurna – X. apropitia – X. ashworthii – X. atrata – X. badicollis – X. borealis – X. boursini – X. brunneopicta – X. bryanti – X. caelebs – X. carriei – X. clavata – X. c-nigrum – X. conjunctiva – X. dhaulagirii – X. digna – X. dilucida – X. distensa – X. ditrapezium – X. dolosa – X. elimata – X. everesti – X. fabulosa – X. fennica – X. gelida – X. haematina – X. herrichschaefferi – X. hirsuta – X. hoenei – X. imperita – X. infimatis – X. kangdingensis – X. kollari – X. kozhantshikovi – X. kruegeri – X. kuangi – X. laetabilis – X. laxa – X. liquidaria – X. lorezi – X. lupa – X. lyngei
X. mixta – X. morandi – X. mustelina – X. nyalamensis – X. obliqua – X. okakensis – X. panda – X. perquiritata – X. praetermissa – X. praeusta – X. quieta – X. rhaetica – X. richthofeni – X. satanas – X. scropulana – X. sherpa – X. sincera – X. speciosa – X. subvittata – X. takkhalii – X. tecta – X. triangulum – X. ursae – X. vernilis – X. viridescens – X. vittata – X. wockei – X. yatsugadakeana – X. youngii – X. yunnana
Overview of species not assigned to a sub-genus

X. albifurca – X. aquila – X. argyrea – X. bryocharis – X. carissima – X. crassipuncta – X. csoevarii – X. dilatata – X. dolorosa – X. draesekei – X. dyris – X. efflorescens – X. enyachangae – X. flavilinea – X. isolata – X. kecskerago – X. latinigra – X. lehmanni – X. mane – X. matronula – X. mejiasi – X. morandinii – X. mournia – X. muficia – X. nyei – X. pangda – X. pseudoaccipiter – X. ronkaygabori – X. semiherbida – X. sichuana – X. songpana – X. sternecki – X. tamsi – X. triphaenoides – X. yamanei – X. zheduoi
Name

Xestia Hübner, 1818

Type species: Noctua ochreago Hübner, 1790
Synonyms

Amathes Hübner, [1821]
Type species: Noctua baja Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
Megasema Hübner, [1821]
Type species: Phalaena triangulum Hufnagel, 1766
Lytaea Stephens, 1829
Type species: Noctua umbrosa Hübner, 1813
Segetia Stephens, 1829
Type species: Noctua xanthographa Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
Pachnobia Guenée, 1852; in Boisduval & Guenée
Type species: Noctua tecta Hübner, [1808]
Hiptelia Guenée, 1852; in Boisduval & Guenée
Type species: Noctua ochreago Hübner, 1809
Anomogyna Staudinger, 1871; in Staudinger & Wocke
Type species: Hadena laetabilis Zetterstedt, 1839
Anepilecta Warren, 1912
Type species: Spintherops accipiter Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874
Pteroscia Morrison, 1875
Type species: Pteroscia atrata Morrison, 1875
Agrotiphila Grote, 1876
Type species: Agrotiphila colorado J.B. Smith, 1891
Schoyenia Aurivillius, 1883
Type species: Schoyenia arctica Aurivillius, 1883
Platagrotis J.B. Smith, 1890
Type species: Noctua speciosa Hübner, [1813]
Raddea Alphéraky, 1892
Type species: Raddea digna Alphéraky, 1892
Hyptioxesta Rebel, 1901; in Staudinger & Rebel
Type species: Erastria penthima Erschoff, 1870
Lena Herz, 1903 (preoccupied by Lena Casey, 1886 (Coleoptera))
Type species: Lena poppiusi Herz, 1903
Hypoxestia Hampson, 1903
Type species: Mesogona dilatata Butler, 1879
Barrovia Barnes & McDunnough, 1916
Type species: Psychophora fasciata Skinner, 1902
Estimata Kozhanchikov, 1923
Type species: Estimata herrichschaefferi Alphéraky, 1895
Archanarta Barnes & Benjamin, 1929
Type species: Noctua quieta Hübner, [1813]
Epipsiliamorpha Barnes & Benjamin, 1929
Type species: Agrotis (Pachnobia) alaskae Grote, 1876
Agrotimorpha Barnes & Benjamin, 1929
Type species: Agrotis staudingeri Möschler, 1862
Hemigraphiphora McDunnough, [1929]
Type species: Noctua plebeia J.B. Smith, 1898
Palaeamathes Boursin, 1954
Type species: Palaeamathes hoenei Boursin, 1954
Paramathes Boursin, 1954
Type species: Agrotis perigrapha Püngeler, 1900
Erebophasma Boursin, 1963
Type species: Erebophasma haematina Boursin, 1963
Knappia Nye, 1975 (replacement name for Lena Herz, 1903)
Type species: Lena poppiusi Herz, 1903
Synanomogyna Beck, 1996
Type species: Agrotis speciosa var. rhaetica Staudinger, 1871; in Staudinger & Wocke
Peranomogyna Beck, 1996
Type species: Agrotis gelida Sparre-Schneider, 1883
Calamogyna Beck, 1996
Type species: Agrotis sincera Herrich-Schäffer, [1851]
Ericathia Beck, 1996
Type species: Noctua agathina Duponchel, 1827; in Godart & Duponchel
Lankialaia Beck, 1996
Type species: Agrotiphila lyngei Rebel, 1923
Xenopachnobia Beck, 1996
Type species: Hadena alpicola Zetterstedt, 1839
Lorezia Beck, 1996
Type species: Hiptelia? lorezi Staudinger, 1891
Monticollia Beck, 1996
Type species: Noctua collina Boisduval, 1840
Ashworthia Beck, 1996
Type species: Agrotis ashworthii Doubleday, 1855
Cenigria Beck, 1996
Type species: Phalaena (Noctua) c-nigrum Linnaeus, 1758
Megarhomba Beck, 1996
Type species: Phalaena (Noctua) rhomboidea Esper, 1790
Castanasta Beck, 1996
Type species: Phalaena (Noctua) castanea Esper, 1798
Caloxestia Beck, 1996
Type species: Noctua trifida Fischer von Waldheim, 1820
Palkermes Beck, 1996
Type species: Noctua kermesina Mabille, 1869

References

Beck, H., 1996: Systematische Liste der Noctuidae Europas (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Neue Entomologischen Nachrichten, 36, 1-122.
Fibiger, M., 1993, Noctuinae II-Noctuidae Europaeae Volume 2
Fibiger, M., 1997, Noctuinae III-Noctuidae Europaeae Volume 3
Gyulai, P. ; L. Ronkay & A. Saldaitis 2011: New Noctuidae species from China and the Himalayas (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea). Esperiana Buchreihe zur Entomologie, 16: 166–197.
Gyulai, P. 2017. Two new species of Xestia Hübner, 1818 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) from Bhutan and China. Zootaxa 4358(1): 188–192. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4358.1.10. Reference page.
Gyulai, P. 2018. A new species of Xestia HÜBNER, 1818 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) from China. Zootaxa 4514(3): 445–448. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4514.3.10. Reference page.
Gyulai, P., Ronkay, G., Ronkay, L.A. & Saldaitis, 2013a: New noctuidae taxa from Asia (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea). Fibigeriana 1 (suppl. 1): 197–243. Reference page.
Gyulai, P.; Ronkay, L.; Saldaitis, A. 2013: Two new Xestia Hübner, 1818 species from China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Zootaxa 3734(1): 96–100. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3734.1.12 Reference page.
Hreblay, M. & Ronkay, L., 2000: New Noctuidae species and subspecies from Taiwan and the Adjacent Areas II (Lepidoptera). Insects Koreana, 17(1-2): 1–38.
Kononenko, V.S. , Volynkin, A.V. & Matov, A.Y., 2012: A revision of the Xestia (Radddea) alexis (Kozhanchikov, 1928) species-group with a checklist of subgenus Raddea Alphéraky, 1892 and description of brachipterous females (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae). Zootaxa 3590: 51–62.
Lafontaine, J.D., 1998: The Moths of America North of Mexico, 27.3; Noctuoidea; Noctuidae (part): 1–348.
Lafontaine, J.D. ; Mikkola, K. & Kononenko, V.S., 1983: A revision of the genus Xestia subg. Schoyenia Auriv. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), with descriptions of four new species and a new subspecies. Insect Systematics & Evolution '14(3): 337–369. Abstract: DOI: 10.1163/187631283X00353
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. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.40.414 Reference page.
Mikkola, K. , Fibiger, M. & Lafontaine, J.D., 1994: Revision of the Xestia speciosa and X. alpicola complexes in Europe (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Entomologica Fennica 5 (2): 125–128.
Pekarsky, O. 2014b: Contribution to the knowledge of Noctuidae fauna of Bering island. Fibigeriana 2 (supplement): 177–200. Reference page.
Pinker, R., 1961: Interessante und neue Funde und Erkenntnisse für die Lepidopterenfauna der Kanaren. (Fortsetzung aus dem 45. Jahrg. 1960). Zeitschrift der Wiener Entomologischen Gesellschaft 46: 65- 72.
Sviridov, A.V. & Korb, S.K. 2010. An illustrated catalogue of primary type specimens of the Lepidoptera in collection of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University described in the second half of XXth century. Eversmannia 21/22: 6–27. Reference page.

Xestia is a genus of noctuid moths (family Noctuidae). They are the type genus of the tribe Xestiini in subfamily Noctuinae, though some authors merge this tribe with the Noctuini. Species in this genus are commonly known as "clays", "darts" or "rustics", but such names are commonplace among Noctuidae. Xestia moths have a wide distribution, though they most prominently occur in the Holarctic.

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 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. X. hypographa, which led to the 2002 transfer of X. ornata from Eugraphe to here). Thus, unless there are drastic taxonomic changes in the future, Xestia is likely to remain one of the larger noctuine genera.[1]
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 cryptic while at rest however, with unmarked pale or dull brownish hindwings; they do not have metallic hues and few species possess obvious eyespots.[2]
Caterpillar of the double square-spot (X. triangulum)

This genus includes many species living at high latitudes and altitudes, in tundra and taiga ecosystems. Some have two-year (semivoltine) 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 eclose later, their moths flying from late summer into autumn. Xestia caterpillars are generally stout and 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.[2]

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 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.[2]

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 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 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 (mes)angiosperms do not seem to be significant as Xestia food plants, at least not in temperate and cooler regions.[2]

As far as is known, Xestia adults are nocturnal or crepuscular (except of course the high-latitude species), but are often attracted to lights at night. They general feed on flowers with relatively short or no corolla, and will also drink other sugary liquids.[2]
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.[3]

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 has only progressed so far. H. Beck in 1996 published a comprehensive taxonomic catalogue, 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.[4]
Synonyms
Square-spot rustic (X. xanthographa), sometimes split off in Segetia with its presumed relatives, seems too close to X. ochreago to warrant such a treatment.

Junior synonyms and other obsolete generic names for Xestia moths are:[4]

Agrotimorpha Barnes & Benjamin[verification needed], 1929
Agrotiphila Grote, 1876[verification needed]
Amathes Hübner, [1821]
Anomogyna Staudinger, 1871
Archanarta Barnes & Benjamin, 1929
Ashworthia Beck, 1996
Asworthia (lapsus)
Barrovia Barnes & McDunnough[verification needed], 1916
Calamogyna (lapsus)
Calanomogyna Beck, 1996
Calocestia (lapsus)
Caloxestia Beck, 1996
Castanasta Beck, 1996
Cenigria Beck, 1996
Epipsiliamorpha Barnes & Benjamin[verification needed], 1929
Ericathia Beck, 1996
Hiptelia Guenée, 1852
Hypoxestia Hampson, 1903[verification needed]
Hyptioxesta Rebel, 1901
Knappia Nye, 1975
Lankialaia Beck, 1996
Lena Herz, 1903 (non Casey, 1886 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.[5]

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.[2]
Subgenus Anomogyna
X. (Anomogyna) caelebs, adult male
X. (Megasema) kollari kollari, adult male

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][verification needed])
Xestia infimatis Grote, 1880[verification needed] (tentatively placed here, may belong in subgenus Xestia)
Xestia laetabilis (Zetterstedt, [1839][verification needed]) (type of Anomogyna)
Xestia mustelina Smith, 1900[verification needed]
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
X. (Megasema) c-nigrum deraiota, adult male

ashworthii/"Ashworthia" group

Xestia ashworthii – Ashworth's rustic (type of Ashworthia)
Xestia okakensis Packard, 1867[verification needed]
Xestia okakensis okakensis Packard, 1867[verification needed]
Xestia okakensis morandi (Benjamin, 1934) (sometimes considered distinct species)
Xestia scropulana Morrison, 1874[verification needed] (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[verification needed] (possibly belongs in X. c-nigrum)
Xestia triangulum – double square-spot (type of Megasema)

Species group unknown

Xestia inuitica Lafontaine & Hensel, 1998

Subgenus Pachnobia
X. (Pachnobia) lorezi lorezi, adult male

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
X. (Schoyenia) quieta, adult

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[verification needed] (Kononenko, 1981)
Xestia liquidaria (Eversmann, 1848) (= X. arctica Aurivillius, 1883 (non Zetterstedt, 1839: 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

X. (Xestia) palaestinensis, adult female
Subgenus Xestia
X. (Xestia) bolteri, adult female
X. (Xestia) conchis, adult female

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)[verification needed] (type of Palkermes)
Xestia kermesina kermesina (Mabille, 1869)[verification needed]
Xestia kermesina virescens Turati, 1912[verification needed]
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)[verification needed] (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)[verification needed]
Xestia substrigata (Smith, 1895)
Xestia verniloides Lafontaine, 1998

Incertae sedis
Xestia staudingeri, adult male
Xestia retracta, adult male
Xestia efflorescens, adult
Xestia renalis, adult male

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 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)[verification needed] (type of Hypoxestia)

ornata group

Xestia hypographa
Xestia ornata (formerly in Eugraphe)

"Palaeamathes" group

Xestia hoenei (Boursin, 1954)[verification needed] (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[verification needed]
Xestia hemitragidia (Boursin 1964)[verification needed]
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[verification needed]
Xestia draesekei Boursin, 1948
Xestia efflorescens
Xestia flavilinea Wileman, 1912
Xestia pseudoaccipiter Boursin, 1948
Xestia semiherbida (Walker, 1857)[verification needed]
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[verification needed], 1928)
Xestia homochroma (Hampson 1903)
Xestia isochroma (Hampson 1903)
Xestia isolata
Xestia junctura (Moore, 1881)[verification needed]
Xestia kecskerago Gyulai & L.Ronkay, 2006
Xestia latinigra (Prout, 1928)
Xestia mandarina (Leech, 1900)[verification needed]
Xestia olivascens (Hampson, 1894)[verification needed]
Xestia renalis
Xestia rosifunda (Dyar, 1916)[verification needed]
Xestia senescens (Staudinger, 1881)[verification needed] (formerly in Eugraphe)
Xestia tamsi (Wileman & West, 1929)
Xestia vidua (Staudinger, 1892)
Xestia yamanei Chang, 1991

Footnotes

Varga & Ronkay (2003), Pitkin & Jenkins (2004), and see references in Savela (2009)
See references in Savela (2009)
Varga & Ronkay (2003), Pitkin & Jenkins (2004)
Pitkin & Jenkins (2004), Beck (2006), and see references in Savela (2009)

Pitkin & Jenkins (2004), and see references in Savela (2009)

References

Beck, H. (1996): Systematische Liste der Noctuidae Europas. (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) ["Systematic list of European Noctuidae"]. Neue Entomologische Nachrichten 36: 1-122.
Pitkin, Brian & Jenkins, Paul (2004): Butterflies and Moths of the World, Generic Names and their Type-species – Xestia. Version of 5 November 2004. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
Savela, Markku (2009): Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms – Xestia. Version of 31 December 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
Varga, Z. & Ronkay, L. (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.