With the fifth installment of the “Contributions to the systematics of New World macro-moths” series, initiated in 2009 (Schmidt and Lafontaine 2009), systematics of taxa in the Geometridae, Notodontidae, Erebidae and Noctuidae are addressed. Geographic coverage is approximately equal between the Nearctic and Neotropic realms.

Despite the relatively advanced taxonomic knowledge of the North American macro-moth fauna, surprising discoveries continue – one new genus and species of Noctuidae is described from eastern North America (Cherokeea Quinter & Sullivan, gen. n.; Cherookeea attakullakulla Sullivan & Quinter, sp. n.), and two genera and four species, also Noctuidae, from western North America (Chloronycta Schmidt & Anweiler, gen. n., Nudorthodes Lafontaine, Walsh & Ferris, gen. n., Nudorthodes molino Lafontaine, Walsh & Ferris, sp. n., Protorthodes ustulata Lafontaine, Walsh & Ferris, sp. n., Protorthodes texicana Lafontaine, sp. n., Protorthodes mexicana Lafontaine, sp. n.). Four new generic combinations are proposed: Chloronycta tybo (Barnes), Acronicta fallax (Herrich-Schäffer), comb. n., Nudorthodes texana (Smith, 1900), comb. n., and Nudorthodes variabilis (Barnes & McDunnough, 1912), comb. n. Six previously recognized species are revised in status to subspecies: Raphia frater abrupta Grote, stat. n., Raphia frater coloradensis Putnam-Cramer, stat. rev., Raphia frater piazzi Hill, stat. n., and Raphia frater elbea Smith, stat. n. Ongoing updates and corrections to the North American Noctuoidea checklist (Lafontaine and Schmidt 2011, 2013) will be published in the upcoming volume VI of “Contributions”.

Eight new species are described from the Neotropics, all from Costa Rica: Phyllodonta esperanza Sullivan, sp. n., Phyllodonta intermediata Sullivan, sp. n., Phyllodonta alajuela Sullivan, sp. n. (Geometridae); Symmerista luisdiegogomezi Chacón, sp. n., Symmerista aura Chacón, sp. n., Symmerista inbioi Chacón, sp. n., Symmerista minaei Chacón, sp. n. and Disphragis bifurcata Sullivan & Pogue, sp. n. (Notodontidae). The status of Disphragis hemicera (Schaus, 1910), stat. rev. is raised to species and Elymiotis tlotzin (Schaus, 1892), comb. n. is transferred from Symmerista. The type material of Neotropical Arctiinae (Erebidae) described by C. G. Burmesiter and C. Berg is reviewed, resulting in the following changes: Opharus picturata (Burmeister, 1878), comb. n. (= Opharus brunnea Gaede, 1923: 7, syn. n.); Hypocrisias fuscipennis (Burmeister, 1878) (= Phaegoptera jonesi Schaus, 1894, syn. n.); Leucanopsis infucata (Berg, 1882), stat. rev.; Paracles argentina (Berg, 1877), sp. rev.; Paracles uruguayensis (Berg, 1886), sp. rev. A lectotype is designated for Halesidota picturata Burmeister, 1878, Halesidota cancellata Burmeister, 1878 Halesidota cancellata Burmeister, 1878.

Seventeen authors contributed eight manuscripts for this volume, and the continued interest and support of these contributors makes this series (Schmidt and Lafontaine 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013) possible. Authors interested in contributing to future editions of “Contributions …” are encouraged to contact us.