The Caterpillars of CATOCALINAE are usually smooth, lacking obvious hairs. Many have one or more pairs of prolegs missing, and so move in a looping fashion.

Some of the adult moths of CATOCALINAE have brightly coloured hind wings which are normally covered (the "underwings"), and some have eye-shaped markings on the wings (the "owlets"). The CATOCALINAE moths also include a number pests which puncture fruit in order to feed on the juice.

Some taxonomists list this group of species as a family CATOCALIDAE, or as a subfamily of EREBIDAE, but here following Nielsen et al., we include it as a subfamily of the NOCTUIDAE.

Some common species of the 353 named Australian species in CATOCALINAE are:

Agamana callixeris
Agamana cavatalis

Alophosoma emmelopis
Alophosoma hypoxantha

Amphiongia chordophoides

Anisoneura aluco

Anomis albitibia
Anomis combinans
Anomis definata
Anomis flava
Anomis involuta

Axiocteta oenoplex
Axiocteta turneri

Bocula odontosema

Dysgonia infractafinis
Dysgonia latizona

Dysgonia propyrrha
Dysgonia senex
Dysgonia solomonensis

Ercheia dubia
Ercheia ekeikei

Hypocala deflorata
Hypocala guttiventris

Mecodina bisignata
Mecodina praecipua

Mocis alterna
Mocis frugalis : Sugarcane Looper
Mocis trifasciata

Nagia linteola

Niguza anisogramma
Niguza eucesta

Ophiusa costiplaga
Ophiusa discriminans
Ophiusa disjungens
Ophiusa hituense
Ophiusa parcemacula
Ophiusa tirhaca

Ophyx ochroptera

Pantydia diemeni
Pantydia metaspila
Pantydia sparsa

Pericyma cruegeri : Poinciana Looper

Phyllodes imperialis : Imperial Fruit Sucking Moth

Phytometra formosalis
Phytometra laevis

Pindara serratilinea

Platyja cyanopasta

Praxis marmarinopa
Praxis porphyretica

Prorocopis euxantha

Xenogenes gloriosa
Xenogenes miranda