Largest family of moths

The largest taxonomic family of moths is Noctuidae, the owlet moths, many of which have quite cryptic upper forewing colouration and patterning, thus making them difficult to spot. So although there are already over 35,000 noctuid species currently known to science worldwide, it has been estimated that there may be numerous additional species (possibly as many as 65,000 or so) still awaiting formal discovery. Some famous species have brightly coloured hindwings or underwings that are normally hidden beneath the larger, drab forewings, but are abruptly flashed to startle would-be predators. Named after the colour of the stripes on their hindwings, such species include the red underwings, crimson underwings, rosy underwings, scarlet underwings, pink underwings, copper underwings, yellow underwings, the brown underwing, and, largest and most spectacular of all underwings, the blue underwing or clifden nonpareil.