The Hepialidae are a family of insects in the

lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths.

Taxonomy and systematics

The Hepialidae constitute by far the most diverse group of the infraorder Exoporia. The 60

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

contain at least 587 currently recognised species of these primitive moths worldwide. The genera ''

Fraus In Roman mythology, Fraus was the goddess or personification of treachery and fraud. She was daughter of Orcus and Night ( Nyx). She was depicted with a woman's face, the body of a snake, and on her tail the sting of a scorpion.Johann Joachim Esc ...

'' ( endemic to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

), ''

Gazoryctra ''Gazoryctra'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 14 described species found in Eurasia, Canada and the United States. Species *''Gazoryctra chishimana'' – Kuril Islands *''Gazoryctra confusus'' – United States *''Gazo ...

'' ( Holarctic), '' Afrotheora'' ( Southern African), and ''

Antihepialus ''Antihepialus'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are four described species, found in southern and eastern Africa. Species *'' Antihepialus antarcticus'' – South Africa *'' Antihepialus capeneri'' – South Africa *'' An ...

'' ( African) are considered to be the most primitive, containing four genera and about 51 species with a mostly relictual southern Gondwanan distribution and are currently separated from the Hepialidae ''sensu stricto'' which might form a natural,

derived Derive may refer to: * Derive (computer algebra system), a commercial system made by Texas Instruments * ''Dérive'' (magazine), an Austrian science magazine on urbanism *Dérive, a psychogeographical concept See also * *Derivation (disambiguatio ...

group.Nielsen, E.S., Robinson, G.S. and Wagner, D.L. 2000. Ghost-moths of the world: a global inventory and bibliography of the Exoporia (Mnesarchaeoidea and Hepialoidea) (Lepidoptera) ''Journal of Natural History'', 34(6): 823–87
Abstract
/ref> The most diverse genera are ''

Oxycanus ''Oxycanus'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 71 described species found in Australia and New Guinea. Species *'' Oxycanus aedisima'' – Australia *'' Oxycanus aegrus'' – New Guinea *'' Oxycanus albostrigata'' – Austr ...

'' with 73 species, '' Endoclita'' with 60 species, ''

Thitarodes ''Thitarodes'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. In English ''Thitarodes'' is known as "ghost moth". They are found in eastern Asia. The majority are restricted to the Tibetan Plateau. Often in Chinese entomological nomenclature ''Thi ...

'' with 51 species and ''Cibyra'' with 50 species following a comprehensive catalogue of Exoporia. The relationships of the many genera are not yet well established; see below for an ordered

synonymic A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

generic checklist, and the Taxobox for navigation.

Morphology and identification

The family Hepialidae is considered to be very primitive, with a number of structural differences to other moths including very short antennae and the lack of a functional proboscis or frenulum (see Kristensen, 1999: 61–62 for details).Kristensen, N.P., (1999). The non-Glossatan Moths. Ch. 4, pp. 41–62 in Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.). ''Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies''. Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbook of Zoology. A Natural History of the phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Band / Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta Teilband / Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York. Like other Exoporia the

sperm Sperm is the male reproductive cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm with a tail known as a flagellum, whi ...

is transferred to the egg by an external channel between the ostium and the

ovipore An ovipore is a pore-like sexual organ of a female insect that is inseminated by the spermatophores ejected by the aedeagus of a male insect during copulation. The spermatophores that pass through the ovipore are stored in most insect species i ...

. Other non ditrysian moths have a common

cloaca In animal anatomy, a cloaca ( ), plural cloacae ( or ), is the posterior orifice that serves as the only opening for the digestive, reproductive, and urinary tracts (if present) of many vertebrate animals. All amphibians, reptiles and birds, a ...

. The moths are homoneurous with similar forewings and hindwings, and are sometimes included as 'honorary' members of the Macrolepidoptera, though archaic they are. Strictly speaking, they are

phylogenetically In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

too

basal Basal or basilar is a term meaning ''base'', ''bottom'', or ''minimum''. Science * Basal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location for features associated with the base of an organism or structure * Basal (medicine), a minimal level that is nec ...

and constitute Microlepidoptera, although hepialids range from very small moths to a wingspan record of 250 mm in ''

Zelotypia ''Zelotypia'' is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is ''Z. stacyi'', the bentwing ghost moth, which is only found in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. This is a very large species with a wings ...

''. Because of their sometimes large size and striking colour patterns, they have received more popular and taxonomic attention than most "micros". Many species display strong sexual dimorphism, with males smaller but more boldly marked than females, or at high elevation, females of '' Pharmacis'' and ''

Aoraia ''Aoraia'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 13 described species, all endemic to New Zealand. The type species of this genus is ''Porina dinodes'' Meyrick, 1890. This genus contains some large species with a wingspan of u ...

'' show "brachypterous" wing reduction.

Distribution

Hepialidae are distributed on ancient landmasses worldwide except Antarctica but with the surprising exceptions of Madagascar, the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

islands and in Africa, tropical West Africa. It remains to be borne out if these absences are real as ''

Aenetus cohici ''Aenetus cohici'' is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is endemic to New Caledonia. The wingspan is 107–121 mm. There are two colour morphs. The first has a background colour of yellowish-green with pastel violet spots. The second morp ...

'' was not long ago discovered in

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

. In the

Oriental The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the ...

and Neotropical regions hepialids have diversified in rainforest environments, but this not apparently the case in the

Afrotropics The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the island ...

. Hepialids mostly have low dispersive powers and do not occur on oceanic islands with the exception of ''Phassodes'' on

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

and Western Samoa and a few species in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and Kurile Islands. Whilst the type locality of '' Eudalaca sanctahelena'' is from the remote island of

St Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

, this is thought to be an error for South Africa.

Behaviour

Swift moths are usually

crepuscular In zoology, a crepuscular animal is one that is active primarily during the twilight period, being matutinal, vespertine, or both. This is distinguished from diurnal and nocturnal behavior, where an animal is active during the hours of daylig ...

and some species form leks, also thought to have arisen independently in the genus ''

Ogygioses ''Ogygioses'' is a genus of moths of the family Palaeosetidae. ''Ogygioses luangensis'' is found in Thailand and the other ''Ogygioses'' species are found in Taiwan.Ghost-moths of the world: a global inventory and bibliography of the Exoporia (Mne ...

'' (

Palaeosetidae The Palaeosetidae or miniature ghost moths are a family of insects in the order Lepidoptera contained within the superfamily Hepialoidea. Taxonomy and systematics The Palaeosetidae are a primitive family of Hepialoidea with four currently reco ...

). In most genera, males fly swiftly to virgin females that are calling with scent. In other genera, virgin females "assemble" upwind to displaying males, which emit a musky pheromone from scales on the metathoracic

tibiae The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

. In such cases of sex role reversal, there may be visual cues also: males of the European ghost swift are possibly the most frequently noticed species, being white, ghostly and conspicuous when forming a lek at dusk. Sometimes they hover singly as if suspended from a thread or flying in a figure of eight motion. The chemical structures of some pheromones have been analysed.

Biology

The female does not lay its eggs in a specific location but scatters ("broadcasts") them while in flight, sometimes in huge numbers (29,000 were recorded from a single female '' Trictena'', which is presumably a world record for the Lepidoptera). The maggot-like larvae feed in a variety of ways. Probably all Exoporia have concealed larvae, making silken tunnels in all manner of substrates. Some species feed on leaf litter, fungi,

mosses Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and horn ...

, decaying vegetation, ferns,

gymnosperms The gymnosperms ( lit. revealed seeds) are a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers, cycads, ''Ginkgo'', and gnetophytes, forming the clade Gymnospermae. The term ''gymnosperm'' comes from the composite word in el, γυμνό� ...

and a wide span of monocot and

dicot The dicotyledons, also known as dicots (or, more rarely, dicotyls), are one of the two groups into which all the flowering plants (angiosperms) were formerly divided. The name refers to one of the typical characteristics of the group: namely, t ...

plants. There is very little evidence of hostplant specialisation; whilst the South African species ''

Leto venus ''Leto'' is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae described by Jacob Hübner in 1820. The only described species is ''Leto venus'', described by Pieter Cramer in 1780, which is endemic to South Africa. The larval food plant is ''Virgi ...

'' is restricted to the tree '' Virgilia capensis'' this may be a case of "ecological

monophagy Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffixes -vore, -vory, or -vorous from Latin ''vorare'', meaning "to devour", or -phage, -phagy, or -phagous from Greek φαγε ...

". A few feed on foliage (the austral 'oxyacanine' genera which may drag foliage into their feeding tunnel: Nielsen et al., 2000: 825). Most feed underground on fine roots, at least in early instars and some then feed internally in tunnels in the stem or trunk of their hostplants. Root-feeding larvae travelling through soil make silk-lined tunnels. Before pupating they make a vertical tunnel, which can be up to 10 cm deep, with an exit close to the ground surface. The pupae can then climb up and down to adjust to changes in temperature and flooding. Before the adult moth emerges, the pupa protrudes half way out at the ground surface. Th
pupa
has rows of dorsal spines on the abdominal segments as in other lower members of the Heteroneura.

Economic significance

Chinese medicine makes considerable use of the "mummies" collected of the

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

-attacking fungi '' Ophiocordyceps sinensis'', and these can form an expensive ingredient. The witchetty grub (which are sometimes hepialid larvae) is a popular food source especially among aboriginal Australians. In Central America and South America, hepialid larvae are also eaten. However, some species of ''

Wiseana ''Wiseana'' is a genus of moths, collectively known as porina, of the family Hepialidae. There are seven described species, all endemic to New Zealand. Some species of this genus are a major pest in New Zealand exotic pastures. It is impossible ...

'', ''

Oncopera ''Oncopera'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 12 described species, all endemic to Australia. The larvae usually feed on grasses, although that of ''O. intricata'' has been recorded on strawberry. Species *'' Oncopera albo ...

'', ''

'' and ''

Dalaca ''Dalaca'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 23 described species found throughout South America as far north as Panama. The larvae feed on grasses. Species *'' Dalaca chilensis'' - Chile *'' Dalaca chiriquensis'' - Panama ...

'' are considered pests of pastures in Australia, New Zealand, and South America.

Phylogeny

The Hepialidae were identified as having primitive wing venation by

John Henry Comstock John Henry Comstock (February 24, 1849 – March 20, 1931) was an eminent researcher in entomology and arachnology and a leading educator. His work provided the basis for classification of butterflies, moths, and scale insects. Early life and ...

(1893). In his study of Evolution of the Wings of Insects he shows that the fore and hind wings of Sthenopis (Hepialus) argenteomaculatus maintain a five branched radius while in the remainder of the Lepidoptera the hind wing radius is merged into one vein. This identifies the Hepialidae as a primitive relict of primitive wing venation.

Faunas

Fauna of Europe

Source and identificationSkinner, B. (1984). ''Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles'' *'' Gazoryctra fuscoargenteus'' O. Bang-Haas 1927 – Northern Scandinavia *''

Gazoryctra ganna ''Gazoryctra ganna'' is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is found in Sweden, Finland, Russia (Siberia), France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Kazakhstan. The wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distan ...

'' (Hübner 1808) – Alps, northern Scandinavia, northern Russia *''

Hepialus humuli The ghost moth or ghost swift (''Hepialus humuli'') is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is common throughout Europe, except for in the far south-east. Female ghost moths are larger than males, and exhibit sexual dimorphism with their differ ...

'' Linnaeus 1758 ( ghost moth) – Europe *''

Korscheltellus lupulina The common swift (''Korscheltellus lupulina'') is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It was previously placed in the genus '' Hepialus''. It is a common, often abundant European species. The species was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10t ...

'' Linnaeus 1758 ( common swift) – Europe *'' Pharmacis aemiliana'' Costantini 1911 – Italy *''

Pharmacis anselminae ''Pharmacis anselminae'' is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is known from Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Medi ...

'' Teobaldelli 1977 – Italy *''

Pharmacis bertrandi ''Pharmacis bertrandi'' is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is known from France and Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle o ...

'' Le Cerf 1936 – France *''

Pharmacis carna ''Pharmacis carna'' is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is mainly found in mountainous areas, mostly in the Alps and the Carpathian Mountains, although it is also present in Hungary. The wingspan is 32–44 mm for females and 25–34&nbs ...

'' Denis & Schiffermüller 1775 – Central and Eastern Europe *'' Pharmacis castillana'' Oberthür 1883 – Spain *''

Pharmacis claudiae ''Pharmacis claudiae'' is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is known from Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Medite ...

'' Kristal & Hirneisen 1994 – Italy *''

Pharmacis fusconebulosa The map-winged swift (''Pharmacis fusconebulosa'') is a moth belonging to the family Hepialidae and has a patchy distribution throughout Eurasia. The species was first described by Charles De Geer in 1778. It was previously placed in the genus ' ...

'' De Geer 1778 (

map-winged swift The map-winged swift (''Pharmacis fusconebulosa'') is a moth belonging to the family Hepialidae and has a patchy distribution throughout Eurasia. The species was first described by Charles De Geer in 1778. It was previously placed in the genus ' ...

) – Europe *''

Pharmacis pyrenaicus ''Pharmacis pyrenaicus'' is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is known from France and Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ult ...

'' Donzel 1838 – Pyrenees *''

Phymatopus hecta The gold swift (''Phymatopus hecta'') is a moth belonging to the family Hepialidae. Until recently it was placed in the genus ''Hepialus''. The species was Species description, first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema ...

'' Linnaeus 1758 ( gold swift) – Central and northern Europe *''

Triodia adriaticus ''Triodia adriaticus'' is a species of moth belonging to the family Hepialidae. It was described by Osthelder in 1931, and is known from Slovenia, Croatia, North Macedonia and Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Re ...

'' Osthelder 1931 – Croatia, North Macedonia, Greece, Crete *''

Triodia amasinus ''Triodia amasinus'' is a species of moth belonging to the family Hepialidae. It was described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1851, and it is known from Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Albania and ...

'' Herrich-Schäffer 1851 – Balkans *''

Triodia sylvina The orange swift or orange moth (''Triodia sylvina'') is a moth belonging to the family Hepialidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761 and was previously placed in the genus ''Hepialus''. It is distributed throughout Europ ...

'' Linnaeus 1761 ( orange swift) – Europe

Generic checklist

*''

'' Walker, 1856 **=''Hectomanes'' Meyrick, 1980 **=''Praus''; Pagenstacher, 1909 *''

'' Hübner,

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**=''Garzorycta''; Hübner,

826 Year 826 ( DCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 826th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 826th year of the 1st millennium, the 26th ...

**=''Gazoryctes''; Kirby, 1892 *'' Afrotheora'' Nielsen and Scoble, 1986 *''

'' Janse, 1942 **=''Ptycholoma''; Felder, 1874 *''

Bipectilis ''Bipectilus'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species in the genus, distributed through China, Nepal and Vietnam. Species *''Bipectilus gracilirami'' *''Bipectilus latirami'' *''Bipectilus omaiensis'' *'' ...

'' Chus and Wang, 1985 *''

Palpifer ''Palpifer'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae described by George Hampson in 1893. There are 10 described species found in south and east Asia and parts of Mexico. Species of the genus possess large rounded and ascending palpi. Anten ...

'' Hampson,

893 __FORCETOC__ Year 893 ( DCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Vladimir, ruler (''khan'') of the Bulgarian Empire, is dethroned by his fat ...

**=''Palpiphorus''; Quail, 1900 **=''Palpiphora''; Pagenstacher, 1909 *'' Eudalaca'' Viette, 1950 **=''Eudalacina'' Paclt, 1953 *''

Gorgopis ''Gorgopis'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 28 described species found in southern and eastern Africa. Species *'' Gorgopis alticola'' - Tanzania *'' Gorgopis angustiptera'' *'' Gorgopis annulosa'' - South Africa *'' Gorg ...

'' Hübner,

**=''Gorcopis''; Walker, 1856 *''

Metahepialus ''Metahepialus'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are two described species, all endemic to South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Afric ...

'' Janse, 1942 *''

'' Walker, 1856 **=''Huapina'' Bryk, 1945 **=''Maculella'' Viette, 1950 **=''Toenga'' Tindale, 1954 *'' Callipielus'' Butler, 1882 **=''Stachyocera'' Ureta, 1957 *''

Blanchardinella ''Blanchardinella'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. It consists of only one species, ''Blanchardinella venosus'', which is found in Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South A ...

'' Nielsen, Robinson & Wagner, 2000 **=''Blanchardina'' Viette, 1950, nec Labbe, 1899 *''

Calada ''Calada'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are two described species, both endemic to Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half ...

'' Nielsen and Robinson, 1983 *''

Puermytrans ''Puermytrans'' is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is ''P. chiliensis'' of Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernm ...

'' Viette, 1951 *''

Parapielus ''Parapielus'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae The Hepialidae are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths. Taxonomy and systematics The Hepialidae con ...

'' Viette, 1949 **=''Lossbergiana'' Viette, 1951 *''

Andeabatis ''Andeabatis'' is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only species is ''Andeabatis chilensis'' of southern South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemis ...

'' Nielsen and Robinson, 1983 *''

Druceiella ''Druceiella'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are four described species, although a revision of the genus is being carried out which will add at least four new species. The current species are all found in South America. Ma ...

'' Viette, 1949 *''

Trichophassus ''Trichophassus'' is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is ''Trichophassus giganteus'' which is endemic to Brazil. The larva of this species has been recorded feeding on '' Adenocalymma'', ''Eucalyptus'', ...

'' Le Cerf, 1919 *''

Phassus ''Phassus'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 21 described species distributed from Mexico south to Brazil. Species *''Phassus absyrtus'' - Brazil *''Phassus agrionides'' - Brazil *''Phassus aurigenus'' - Costa Rica *''Phas ...

'' Walker, 1856 *''

Schausiana ''Schausiana'' is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae described by Pierre Viette in 1950. The only described species is ''Schausiana trojesa'', described by William Schaus in 1901, which is endemic to Mexico. The wingspan The wi ...

'' Viette, 1950 *'' Aplatissa'' Viette, 1953 *''

Pfitzneriana ''Pfitzneriana'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are four described species, all found in South America. Species *''Pfitzneriana allura'' - Bolivia *''Pfitzneriana olivescens'' - Colombia *''Pfitzneriana prosopus'' - Colombia ...

'' Viette, 1952 *'' Cibyra'' Walker, 1856 *''Cibyra'' ('' Pseudodalaca'' Viette, 1950) *''Cibyra'' ('' Gymelloxes'' Viette, 1952) *''Cibyra'' ('' Alloaepytus'' Viette, 1951) *''Cibyra'' ('' Aeptus'') Herrich-Schäffer,

858 __NOTOC__ Year 858 ( DCCCLVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – King Louis the German, summoned by the disaffected Frankish ...

*''Cibyra'' ('' Thiastyx'' Viette, 1951) *''Cibyra'' ('' Schaefferiana'' Viette, 1950) *''Cibyra'' (''

Paragorgopis ''Paragorgopis'' is a genus of picture-winged flies in the family Ulidiidae. Species * ''Paragorgopis argyrata'' * ''Paragorgopis cancellata'' * ''Paragorgopis clathrata'' * ''Paragorgopis discrepans'' * ''Paragorgopis euryale'' * ''Paragorgopis ...

'' Viette, 1952) *''Cibyra'' ('' Hepialyxodes'' Viette, 1951) *''Cibyra'' ('' Xytrops'' Viette, 1951) *''Cibyra'' ('' Cibyra'' Walker, 1856) *''Cibyra'' ('' Lamelliformia'' Viette, 1952) *''Cibyra'' ('' Tricladia'' Felder, 1874) **=''Pseudophassus'' Pfitzner, 1914 **=''Parana'' Viette, 1950 *''Cibyra'' ('' Pseudophilaenia'' Viette, 1951) *''Cibyra'' ('' Philoenia'' Kirby, 1892) **=''Philaenia'' auctt. *''Cibyra'' ('' Yleuxas'' Viette, 1951) *''

Phialuse ''Phialuse'' is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae The Hepialidae are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths. Taxonomy and systematics The Hepialida ...

'' Viette, 1961 *''

Roseala ''Roseala'' is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is ''R. bourgognei'' which is endemic to Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest ...

'' Viette, 1950 *''

'' auctt., nec Walker, 1856 *''

Pfitzneriella ''Pfitzneriella'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are four described species restricted to Ecuador and Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other ...

'' Viette, 1951 *''

'' Dumbleton, 1966 **=''Trioxycanus'' Dumbleton, 1966 *'' Triodia'' **=''Alphus'' Wallengren, 1869, nec Dejean, 1833 *''

Korscheltellus ''Korscheltellus'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. It consists of two widespread species, the familiar common swift (''K. lupulina'') of Europe and the conifer swift (''K. gracilis'') of Canada and the eastern United States. ''K. g ...

'' Börner, 1920 *'' Pharmacis'' Hübner,

*''

'' Viette, 1968 **=''Forkalus'' Chu and Wang, 1985 *'' Phymatopus'' Wallengren, 1869 **=''Hepiolopsis'' Börner, 1920 **=''Phimatopus''; auctt. *'' Phymatopus'' auctt. nec Wallengren, 1869 *''

Hepialus The ghost moth or ghost swift (''Hepialus humuli'') is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is common throughout Europe, except for in the far south-east. Female ghost moths are larger than males, and exhibit sexual dimorphism with their differ ...

'' Fabricius, 1775 **=''Hepiolus'' Illiger, 1801 **=''Epialus'' Agassiz, 1847 **=''Epiolus'' Agassiz, 1847 **=''Tephus'' Wallengren, 1869 **=''Trepialus''; Latreille, 805*''

Zenophassus ''Zenophassus'' is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is ''Z. schamyl'' of Georgia and Abkhazia. The larva of this species feeds on grapevines. It was named after Imam Shamil Imam Shamil ( av, Шей� ...

'' Tindale, 1941 *'' Sthenopis'' auctt. nec Packard,

865 __NOTOC__ Year 865 ( DCCCLXV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * King Louis the German divides the East Frankish Kingdom among his three sons. Ca ...

*'' Endoclita''; Felder, 1874 **=''Endoclyta'', Felder, 1875 **=''Hypophassus'', Le Cerf, 1919 **=''Nevina'', Tindale, 1941 **=''Sahyadrassus'', Tindale, 1941 **=''Procharagia'', Viette, 1949 *''

Neohepialiscus ''Neohepialiscus'' is a Monotypic taxon, monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is ''N. algeriensis'' of Algeria and Tunisia. References External linksHepialidae genera
Hepialidae Monotypic moth genera ...

'' Viette, 1948 *''

Elhamma ''Elhamma'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are four described species found in Australia and New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papu ...

'' Walker, 1856 **=''Perissectis'' Meyrick, 1890 **=''Pericentris''; Pagenstacher, 1909 **=''Zauxieus'' Viette, 1952 **=''Theaxieus'' Viette, 1952 *'' Jeana'' Tindale, 1935 *''

Cladoxycanus ''Cladoxycanus'' is a monotypic genus of moths belonging to the family Hepialidae. It consists of only one species, ''Cladoxycanus minos'', which is endemic to New Zealand. ''C. minos'' was first described by George Hudson George Hudson (pr ...

'' Dumbleton, 1966 *''

'' Viette, 1961 **=''Porina'' Walker, 1956, nec d'Orbigny, 1852 **=''Gorina''; Quail, 1899 **=''Goryna''; Quail, 1899 **=''Philpottia'' Viette, 1950, nec Broun, 1915 *''

Heloxycanus ''Heloxycanus patricki'', also known as the sphagnum porina moth, is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae, the ghost moths. It is the only member of the genus ''Heloxycanus''. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It has been classified a ...

'' Dugdale, 1994 *''

Dumbletonius ''Dumbletonius'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are two described species, both endemic to New Zealand. The genus was named in honour of Lionel Jack Dumbleton Lionel Jack Dumbleton (1905 – 25 September 1976) was a ...

''; auctt **=''Trioxycanus'' Dumbleton, 1966 *''

Dioxycanus ''Dioxycanus'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 2 described species, both endemic to New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landma ...

'' Dumbleton, 1966 *''

Napialus ''Napialus'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are three described species, all endemic to China. Species *'' Napialus hunanensis'' - Hunan *'' Napialus kulingi'' *'' Napialus chongquingensis'' - Chongqing Chongqing ...

'' Chu and Wang, 1985 *''

Hepialiscus ''Hepialiscus'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are four described species found in Taiwan and Nepal. The larvae feed on grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flower ...

'' Hampson,

*''

Parahepialiscus ''Parahepialiscus'' is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is ''P. borneensis'' of Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geograph ...

'' Viette, 1950 *'' Xhoaphryx'' Viette, 1953 *'' Aenetus'' Herrich-Schäffer,

**=''Charagia'' Walker, 1856 **=''Phloiopsyche'' Scott, 1864 **=''Oenetus''; Kirby, 1892 **=''Choragia''; Pagenstacher, 1909 **=''Oenetes''; Oke, 1953 *'' Leto'' Hübner,

**=''Ecto''; Pagenstacher, 1909 *''

'' Scott, 1869 **=''Xylopsyche'' Swainson, 1851 **=''Leto''; auctt *''

'' **=''Oncoptera'' Walker, 1890 **=''Paroncopera'' Tindale, 1933 **=''Onchopera''; Birket-Smith, 1974 **=''Onchoptera''; Birket-Smith, 1974 *'' Trictena'' Meyrick, 1890 *'' Bordaia'' Tindale, 1932 **=''Bordaja''; Chu and Wang, 1985 *''

Abantiades ''Abantiades'' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 14 described species, all found exclusively in Australia. The group includes some large species with a wingspan of up to 160 mm. The larvae feed on the roots of ''Euca ...

'' Herrich-Schäffer,

**=''Pielus'' Walker, 1856 **=''Rhizopsyche'' Scott, 1864 *''

'' Walker, 1856 **=''Porina'' Walker, 1856 **=''Gorina''; Quail, 1899 **=''Goryna''; Quail, 1899 **=''Paraoxyxanus'' Viette, 1950 *''

Phassodes ''Phassodes'' is a moth genus of the family Hepialidae. , it is monospecific, consisting of the sole species ''Phassodes vitiensis''; this species is very variable. It is found in Fiji and Samoa. The life cycle is unknown but the larva is presum ...

'' Bethune-Baker, 1905

Cited literature

References

*Comstock, J.H., (1893). Evolution of the Wings of Insects. The Wilder Quarter Century Book, Ithaca, NY. *Kristensen, N.P., (1999). The non-Glossatan Moths. Ch. 4, pp. 41–62 in Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.). ''Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies''. Volume 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbook of Zoology. A Natural History of the phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Band / Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta Teilband / Part 35: 491 pp. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York. *Nielsen, E.S., Robinson, G.S. and Wagner, D.L. 2000. Ghost-moths of the world: a global inventory and bibliography of the Exoporia (Mnesarchaeoidea and Hepialoidea) (Lepidoptera) ''Journal of Natural History'', 34(6): 823–878.

External links

*
Tree of LifeAustralian Moths Online

Hepialidae of the World – List of Genera and Links to SpeciesLepIndex list of Hepialidae genera and species''Endoclita'' and ''Hepialus'' pheromonesAbstract, counterfeit hepialid mummiesImages of Hepialidae species in New Zealand

{{Taxonbar, from=Q580250 Moth families Taxa named by James Francis Stephens