For the New Zealand moth with the same common name, see Heloxycanus patricki.
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 often considered the only species in the genus Hepialus and a number of previously included species is now reclassified into other genera. However, other authorities retain a number of species in the Hepialus genus.


Ghost moth on a Faroese stamp

Female

Male
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.

Subspecies

Hepialus humuli humuli
Hepialus humuli thulensis Newman, 1865 (Great Britain, Faroe Islands)
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
Taraxacum officinale - Dandelion
Urtica - nettle
Fungi
Additional species which may be included in Hepialus

Chinese authors retain a number of species in Hepialus. Most of these are placed in the genus Thitarodes by others. Species retained in Hepialus include:

Hepialus bibelteus F.R. Shen & Y.S. Zhou, 1997
Hepialus biruensis S.Q. Fu, 2002
Hepialus deqinensis X.C. Liang, 1988
Hepialus haimaensis X.C. Liang, 1988
Hepialus latitegumenus F.R. Shen & Y.S. Zhou, 1997
Hepialus pui G.R. Zhang, D.X. Gu & X. Liu, 2007
Hepialus xiaojinensis Y.Q. Tu, K.S. Ma & D.L. Zhang, 2009
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