See text Heliothinae is a small, cosmopolitan subfamily of moths in the family Noctuidae, with about 400 described species worldwide.

It includes a number of economically significant agricultural pest species, such as Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa zea.

Important works include studies by Hardwick (1965 and 1970) and Matthews (1988).

[2] Its species thrive in hot, dry regions of the world,[1] and the subfamily has its highest species diversity in seasonally-arid tropics and subtropics, such as those found Australia, sections of Asia, the southwest region of the United States, and Africa.

[2] The subfamily includes both specialist species, of which the larvae feed on only a limited range of plants, and polyphagous generalist species.