Hepialidae

Definition

A family of primitive moths in the order Lepidoptera, commonly called swift moths or ghost moths. Members are characterized by reduced or absent proboscises (adults do not feed), and larvae that typically feed on roots or decaying organic matter rather than living plant foliage. Hepialidae is the sole family in the superfamily Hepialoidea and represents one of the earliest-diverging lineages of the suborder Glossata.

Etymology

From the genus Hepialus (Greek: hepialos, 'fever' or 'ague,' perhaps referring to the erratic flight) + -idae (family suffix)

Example

The ghost moth Hepialus humuli (now Hepialus humuli) is a widespread European species whose males perform lekking displays at dusk, hovering over fixed points to attract females with pheromones; the larvae feed on roots of grasses and herbaceous plants.

Synonyms

• swift moths
• Ghost moths

Related Terms

• Lepidoptera
• Glossata
• Exoporia
• Hepialoidea
• Hepialus
• Ghost moth
• swift moth
• root-feeding larvae
• lekking behavior
• primitive moth

Usage Notes

Hepialidae is treated as the type family of the infraorder Exoporia, a group defined by females possessing separate genital openings for copulation and egg-laying (a plesiomorphic trait). The common name 'ghost moth' refers especially to the European Hepialus humuli, whose white males are visible in twilight flight; 'swift moth' describes the rapid, darting flight of many species. Larvae are economically significant as root pests in some regions (e.g., Wiseana spp. in New Zealand pasturelands). The family includes some of the largest moths by wingspan (e.g., Thysania agrippina, the white witch).