REDIA, XCVIII, 2015: 77-92 (*) Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran. (**) Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran. (***) Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ZISP), Universitetskaya nab., 1; 199034, St. Petersburg, Russia. Corresponding author: Mehdi Esfandiari, e-mail apameini@yahoo.com Esfandiari M., Rabieh M.M., Matov A., Mossadegh M.S. – A survey of Erebidae, Nolidae and Euteliidae (Lepidoptera) in Southern and Northeastern of Iran. Noctuoidea are the largest superfamily of Lepidoptera which have not yet fully investigated in Iran. In order to inventories such important group, faunistic studies on the families Erebidae, Nolidae and Euteliidae were made by light traps mainly in the three Iranian provinces of Fars, Khuzestan and Khorasan-e-Razavi during 2009-2011. Totally, 42 taxa belonging to 26 genera and 7 subfamilies were collected. Among these, one species – Drasteria kusnezovi (John, 1910) – is newly reported for the Iranian fauna, together with 23 new provincial records. For all species, illustrations of adults and their genitalia are given with remarks. KEY WORDS: fauna, Noctuoidea, new record, Drasteria, distribution. MEHDI ESFANDIARI (*) - MOHAMMAD MAHDI RABIEH (**) - ALEXEJ MATOV (***) MOHAMMAD SAEED MOSSADEGH (*) A SURVEY OF EREBIDAE, NOLIDAE AND EUTELIIDAE (LEPIDOPTERA) IN SOUTHERN AND NORTHEASTERN OF IRAN INTRODUCTION While specific geographical situation of Iran promises a rich entomofauna, inventorying the large insect order Lepidoptera has a great importance. In the present period of taxonomic and faunistic study on the superfamily Noctuoidea in Iran which began in late 1990s, the exploration of the Iranian Noctuoidea fauna has become remarkably more intensive due to several new projects conducted by local experts along with foreign researchers. These expeditions on the Iranian noctuoids have resulted in description of new taxa and report of new distributional records (e.g. EBERT & HACKER, 2002; ESFANDIARI et al., 2010; ESFANDIARI, 2014; FIBIGER et al., 2007; GYULAI et al. , 2002; HACKER & MEINEKE, 2001; RABIEH et al. , 2013a,b; RONKAY & GYULAI, 2006; VARGA & GYULAI, 2002). Here, we report the results of a study on the fauna of three noctuoid families Erebidae, Nolidae and Euteliidae from different geographical zones of Iran. The present study is in the framework of faunistic studies of noctuoid fauna of Iran at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran (e.g. ESFANDIARI et al., 2011; RABIEH et al., 2013a,b,c; RABIEH et al. , 2014). This report contains records of 42 species and subspecies of the three mentioned families. Illustrations of collected adults and their genitalia are presented for all species. We also report a new record for the fauna of Iran: Drasteria kusnezovi (JOHN, 1910). For this species, remarks on the diagnosis, bionomy and distribution are also given. MATERIAL AND METHODS Collectings were carried out mainly during 2009-2011, in different altitudes and vegetation types of the sampling localities in Khorasan-e-Razavi, Khuzestan and Fars provinces of Iran (Fig. I). Sampling program was made by using light traps powered by 12 volt batteries and 8 watt Black light UVB tubes. Genitalia of the specimens were dissected, stained and mounted according to FIBIGER (1997) with some modifications. The specimens and slides of their genitalia are deposited in the Insect and Mite Collection of Ahvaz (IMCA), Plant Protection Department, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran. The systematics and nomenclature are according to LÖDL et al. (2012). Species denoted with an asterisk (*) are new provincial records. Results of collecting Catocala spp. was not listed here and will be presented later. Some specimens from other years and provinces (Golestan, Kerman & Khorasan-e- Jonubi, Fig. I) were added to the materials. Collectings in Khorasan and Golestan were carried out by M.M. Rabieh and other materials were collected by M. Esfandiari. Few specimens were found at IMCA and added to the materials. RESULTS Totally, 42 taxa belonging to 26 genera and 7 subfamilies were found from families Erebidae (36 species and two subspecies), Nolidae (three species) and Euteliidae (one species) in Iran. Among them, Drasteria kusnezovi is newly reported for the Iranian fauna. Twenty-three new provincial records were also registered in this study; 13 for Khuzestan, 6 for Khorasan-e-Razavi, 2 for Khorasan-e- Jonubi, 1 for Kerman and 1 for Golestan provinces. LIST OF SPECIES Family Erebidae Apart from Lymantriinae and Arctiinae, other sub- families of Erebidae can be distinguished as the clypeofrons is usually unscaled, which may be correlated with elongation and modification of the labial palps. The forewings are generally broader than in the other – Received 6 August 2015 Accepted 2 October 2015 Published 10 December 2015