| Ghost Moth | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Hepialidae |
| Genus: | Hepialus |
| Species: | H. humuli |
| Binomial name | |
| Hepialus humuli (Linnaeus, 1758) |
|
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, where it is preyed upon by bears. This species is now considered the only species in the genus Hepialus which previously included several other species now reclassified into other genera.
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 from June to August and are attracted to light. The species overwinters as a larva.
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.
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.
The term ghost moth is sometimes used as a general term for all Hepialids.
Recorded food plants
- Arctium - Burdock
- Asparagus
- Beta - Beet
- Brassica
- Cannabis
- Chrysanthemum
- Dahlia
- Daucus - Carrot
- Fagus - Beech
- Fragaria - Strawberry
- Helianthus - Jerusalem artichoke
- Humulus - Hop
- Lactuca - Lettuce
- Pastinaca - Parsnip
- Phaseolus - Bean
- Pisum - Pea
- Poaceae - Grasses
- Quercus - Oak
- Rumex - Dock/Sorrel
- Solanum - Potato
- Urtica - Nettle
- Fungi
Species previously included in the genus Hepialus
Species previously placed in the genus Hepialus include:
- Hepialus behrensii (Stretch, 1872) now Phymatopus behrensii
- Hepialus californicus Boisduval, 1868, now Phymatopus californicus
- Hepialus gracilis Grote, 1864, now Korscheltellus gracilis
- Hepialus hecta (Linnaeus, 1758), now Phymatopus hecta
- Hepialus hectoides Boisduval, 1868, now Phymatopus hectoides
- Hepialus lupulinus (Linnaeus, 1758), now Korscheltellus lupulina
- Hepialus montanus (Stretch, 1872) now Phymatopus behrensii
- Hepialus mustelinus Packard, 1864
- Hepialus sequoiolus, now Phymatopus californicus sequoiolus
- Hepialus virescens (Doubleday), now Aenetus virescens
References
- Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
- Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984
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