Tribe Xylenini, Subtribe Xylenina. The taxa were diagnosed and treated as a subfamily and tribe by Fibiger and Lafontaine (2005) and by Lafontaine and Fibiger (2006), and they also included the Apameini as a tribe. However, DNA data indicate that the Xyleninae are paraphyletic in that some tribes (e.g., Caradrinini, Elaphriini, and Prodeniini) belong outside of the Xyleninae + Hadeninae + Noctuinae clade, so we separate the tribes of the former Xyleninae and treat them as tribes of the expanded, more inclusive, concept of the Noctuinae s.l. The tribes Apameini + Xylenini, as used here, do appear to form a monophyletic group.

• Fibiger M, Lafontaine JD (2005) A review of the higher classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera) - with special reference to the Holarctic fauna. Esperiana 11: 7-92.
• Lafontaine JD, Fibiger M (2006) Revised higher classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera). The Canadian Entomologist 138: 610-635.