Heliothis is a genus of moths, whose larvae are agricultural pests on crop species such as tobacco, cotton, soybean and pigeon pea.
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.
Eyes naked and without lashes. Proboscis fully developed. Palpi porrect and second joint evenly clothes 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. Fore wings with veins 8 and 9 sometimes given off from the end of the areole.
Subgenus Heliothis:Heliothis acesias Felder & Rogenhofer, 1872Heliothis australis Hardwick, 1994Heliothis belladonna (H. Edwards, 1881)Heliothis borealis (Hampson, 1903)Heliothis conifera (Hampson, 1913)Heliothis cystiphora (Wallengren, 1860)Heliothis flavescens (Janse, 1917)Heliothis flavigera (Hampson, 1907)Heliothis fuscimacula (Janse, 1917)Heliothis hoarei Matthews, 1999Heliothis lucilinea Walker, 1858Heliothis maritima Graslin, 1855Heliothis metachrisea (Hampson, 1903)Heliothis melanoleuca Mitchell, 1997Heliothis molochitina (Berg, 1882)Heliothis nubigera Herrich-Schäffer, [1851]Heliothis ononis (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)Heliothis oregonica (H. Edwards, 1875)Heliothis pauliani Viette, 1959Heliothis peltigera (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)Heliothis perstriata (Brandt, 1941)Heliothis philbyi (Brandt, 1941)Heliothis phloxiphaga Grote & Robinson, 1867Heliothis proruptus Grote, 1873Heliothis punctifera Walker, 1857Heliothis roseivena (Walker, 1866)Heliothis scutuligera Guenée, 1852Heliothis sturmhoefeli Draudt, 1927Heliothis subflexa (Guenée, 1852)Heliothis tergemina (C. Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874)Heliothis virescens (Fabricius, 1777)Heliothis viriplaca (Hufnagel, 1766)Heliothis xanthia Angulo y Olivares, 1999Heliothis xanthiata Walker, 1865Subgenus Masalia: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)Heliothis perstriata (Brandt, 1941)Heliothis quilengesi Seymour, 1972Heliothis sublimis (Berio, 1962)Heliothis transvaalica (Distant, 1902)Heliothis uncta (Swinhoe, 1885)Subgenus Timora (also treated as a separate genus):See: Timora
