A genus of moths whose larvae are agricultural pests, particularly the corn earworm or tomato hornworm that feed on crops under sunlight.
From Greek 'helios' (sun) and 'this' (a name-forming element). The scientific name references the sun because these moths are day-active and sun-loving compared to most moths.
The Heliothis moth shows why scientists name things carefully—these sun-loving pests destroy millions of dollars of crops annually, and their name perfectly captures that they're attracted to sun-exposed plants.
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