Ghost Moth

The Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli), also known as the Ghost Swift, is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is common throughout Europe except for the far south-east. This species is now considered the only species in the genus Hepialus which previously included several other species.

Related Topics:
Moth - Hepialidae - Europe

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The male has a wingspan of about 44 mm and both forewings and hindwings are pure white (although in H. h. thulensis, found in Shetland and the Faroe Islands, there are buff-coloured individuals). The female is larger (wingspan about 48 mm) and has yellowish-buff forewings with darker linear markings and brown hindwings. The adults fly in June and July* and are attracted to light. The species overwinters as a larva.

Related Topics:
Wingspan - Shetland - Faroe Islands - Larva

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The Ghost Moth gets its name from the display flight of the male, which hovers, sometimes slowly rising and falling, over open ground to attract females. In a suitable location several males may display together in a lek.

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The larva is whitish and maggot-like and feeds underground on the roots of a variety of wild and cultivated plants (see list below). The species can be an economically significant pest in forest nurseries.

Related Topics:
Maggot - Roots - Nurseries

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The term ghost moth is sometimes used as a general term for all Hepialids.

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• The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.
 
Ghost Moth: Recorded food plants ►