In reply to:

spodoptera

A genus of owlet moths of the family noctuidae. These insects are used in molecular biology studies during all stages of their life
cycle.

Don't know why the word owlet was used here. Is it the adjective form of owl?

Anyway, the spodoptera must have been those horrible winged creatures that crawled out of the feathers of the owl my brother shouldn't have shot. Very creepy things they were! Looked like miniature bats.