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The Hepialidae is a family
Scientific classification

Biological classification or scientific classification in biology, is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms....
 of insects in the lepidoptera
Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera is an order of insect that includes moths and butterfly. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterfly, skipper , and Hedylidae....
n order
Scientific classification

Biological classification or scientific classification in biology, is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms....
. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths.

epialidae constitute by far the most diverse group of the infraorder Exoporia
Exoporia

Exoporia are a group of primitive Lepidoptera comprising the superfamilies Mnesarchaeoidea and Hepialoidea . Exoporia is a natural group or clade which is the sister group of the lepidopteran infraorder Heteroneura....
. There are 60 genera
Scientific classification

Biological classification or scientific classification in biology, is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms....
 and at least 587 currently recognised species
Scientific classification

Biological classification or scientific classification in biology, is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms....
 of these primitive moth
Moth

A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the Order Lepidoptera. The differences between butterflies and moths are more than just taxonomy....
s recorded worldwide. The genera Fraus
Fraus

In Roman mythology, Fraus was the goddess of treachery. A helper of Mercury , the word "fraud" has its origin in her name. Her Greek equivalent was Apate....
 (endemic to Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
), Gazoryctra
Gazoryctra

Gazoryctra is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 14 described species found in Eurasia, Canada and the United States....
 (Holarctic
Holarctic

The Holarctic ecozone refers to the habitats found throughout the northern continents of the world as a whole. This region is divided into the Palearctic, consisting of Northern Africa and all of Eurasia, with the exception of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and the Nearctic, consisting of North America south to northern Mexico....
), Afrotheora
Afrotheora

Afrotheora is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 7 described species, all found in southern Africa....
 (Southern Africa
Southern Africa

Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics, consisting of numerous territories....
n), and Antihepialus
Antihepialus

Antihepialus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are four described species, found in southern and eastern Africa....
 (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
Derived

In phylogenetics, a trait is derived if it is present in an organism, but was absent in the last common ancestor of the group being considered. This may also refer to structures that are not present in an organism, but were present in its ancestors, i.e. traits that have undergone secondary loss....
 group.






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The Hepialidae is a family
Scientific classification

Biological classification or scientific classification in biology, is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms....
 of insects in the lepidoptera
Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera is an order of insect that includes moths and butterfly. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterfly, skipper , and Hedylidae....
n order
Scientific classification

Biological classification or scientific classification in biology, is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms....
. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths.

Taxonomy and systematics

Hepialidae constitute by far the most diverse group of the infraorder Exoporia
Exoporia

Exoporia are a group of primitive Lepidoptera comprising the superfamilies Mnesarchaeoidea and Hepialoidea . Exoporia is a natural group or clade which is the sister group of the lepidopteran infraorder Heteroneura....
. There are 60 genera
Scientific classification

Biological classification or scientific classification in biology, is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms....
 and at least 587 currently recognised species
Scientific classification

Biological classification or scientific classification in biology, is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms....
 of these primitive moth
Moth

A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the Order Lepidoptera. The differences between butterflies and moths are more than just taxonomy....
s recorded worldwide. The genera Fraus
Fraus

In Roman mythology, Fraus was the goddess of treachery. A helper of Mercury , the word "fraud" has its origin in her name. Her Greek equivalent was Apate....
 (endemic to Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
), Gazoryctra
Gazoryctra

Gazoryctra is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 14 described species found in Eurasia, Canada and the United States....
 (Holarctic
Holarctic

The Holarctic ecozone refers to the habitats found throughout the northern continents of the world as a whole. This region is divided into the Palearctic, consisting of Northern Africa and all of Eurasia, with the exception of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and the Nearctic, consisting of North America south to northern Mexico....
), Afrotheora
Afrotheora

Afrotheora is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 7 described species, all found in southern Africa....
 (Southern Africa
Southern Africa

Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics, consisting of numerous territories....
n), and Antihepialus
Antihepialus

Antihepialus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are four described species, found in southern and eastern Africa....
 (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
Derived

In phylogenetics, a trait is derived if it is present in an organism, but was absent in the last common ancestor of the group being considered. This may also refer to structures that are not present in an organism, but were present in its ancestors, i.e. traits that have undergone secondary loss....
 group. The most diverse genera are Oxycanus
Oxycanus

Oxycanus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 71 described species found in Australia and New Guinea....
 with 73 species, Endoclita
Endoclita

Endoclita is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 60 described species found in eastern and southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent....
 with 60 species, Thitarodes
Thitarodes

Thitarodes is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 48 described species found in eastern Asia. The majority are restricted to the Tibetan Plateau....
 with 51 species and Cibyra with 50 species following a comprehensive catalogue of Exoporia
Exoporia

Exoporia are a group of primitive Lepidoptera comprising the superfamilies Mnesarchaeoidea and Hepialoidea . Exoporia is a natural group or clade which is the sister group of the lepidopteran infraorder Heteroneura....
. The relationships of the many genera are not yet well established; see below for an ordered synonymic generic checklist
Hepialidae

The Hepialidae is a Scientific classification of insects in the lepidopteran Scientific classification. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths....
, 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
Antenna (biology)

Antennae are paired appendages connected to the front-most morphogenesis of arthropods. In crustaceans, they are biramous and present on the first two segments of the head, with the smaller pair known as antennules....
 and lack of a functional proboscis
Proboscis

In general, a proboscis is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate..The correct Greek plural is proboscides, but in English it is more common to simply add -es, forming proboscises....
 or frenulum
Retinaculum (moth)

The retinaculum is a loop on the underside of the forewing of some moths. Along with the frenulum, a spine at the base of the forward or costal edge of the hindwing, it forms a coupling mechanism for the front and rear wings of the moth....
 (see Kristensen, 1999: 61-62 for details). Like other Exoporia
Exoporia

Exoporia are a group of primitive Lepidoptera comprising the superfamilies Mnesarchaeoidea and Hepialoidea . Exoporia is a natural group or clade which is the sister group of the lepidopteran infraorder Heteroneura....
 the sperm
Sperm

The term sperm is derived from the Greek word sperma and refers to the male reproductive Cell . In the types of sexual reproduction known as anisogamy and oogamy, there is a marked difference in the size of the gametes with the smaller one being termed the "male" or sperm cell....
 is transferred to the egg by an external channel between the "ostium" and the ovipore
Ovipore

An ovipore is a pore-like sexual organ of a female insect that gets insemination by the spermatophores ejected by the aedeagus of a male insect during copulation....
. Other non-ditrysia
Ditrysia

The Ditrysia are a natural group or Cladistics of insects in the Lepidopteran Scientific classification containing both butterfly and moths. They are so named because the female has two distinct sexual openings: one for mating, and the other for laying egg ....
n moths have a common cloaca
Cloaca

In zoological anatomy, a cloaca is the posterior opening that serves as the only such opening for the alimentary tract and urinary tract of certain animal species....
. The moths are "homoneurous" with similar forewings and hindwings and are sometimes included as 'honorary' members of the Macrolepidoptera
Macrolepidoptera

Macrolepidoptera is a group within the insect Order Lepidoptera. Traditionally used for the larger butterflies and moths as opposed to the "Microlepidoptera", this group is unnatural....
. Strictly speaking they are phylogenetically too basal
Basal (phylogenetics)

In phylogenetics, a basal clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade; it appears at the base of a cladogram.A basal group form an outgroup to the rest of the clade, such as in the following example:...
 and constitute Microlepidoptera
Microlepidoptera

Microlepidoptera is an artificial grouping of moth families, commonly known as the 'smaller moths' . Efforts to stabilize the term have usually proven inadequate....
, although hepialids range from very small moths to a wingspan record of 250 mm in Zelotypia
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....
 . Because of their sometimes large size and striking colour patterns, they have received relatively more popular and taxonomic attention than most "micros". Many species display strong sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. Examples include color , size, and the presence or absence of parts of the body used in courtship displays or fights, such as ornamental feathers, horns, antlers or tusks....
 with males smaller but more boldly marked than females, or at high elevation
Elevation

The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, often the above mean sea level. Elevation, or geometric height, is mainly used when referring to points on the Earth's surface, while altitude or geopotential height is used for points above the surface, such as an aircraft in flight or a s...
, females of Pharmacis
Pharmacis

Pharmacis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species found in Eurasia....
 and Aoraia
Aoraia

Aoraia is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 13 described species, all endemic to New Zealand. This genus contains some large species with a wingspan of up to 150 mm....
 show "brachypterous" wing reduction.

Distribution

Hepialidae are distributed on ancient landmasses worldwide except Antarctica
Antarctica

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, overlying the South Pole. It is situated in the Antarctica of the southern hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean....
 but with the surprising exceptions of Madagascar
Madagascar

Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the List of islands by area, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are Endemism to Madagascar....
, the Caribbean
Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America....
 islands and in Africa, Tropical West Africa
West Africa

West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries distributed over an area of approximately 5 million square km:...
. It remains to be borne out if these absences are real as Aenetus
Aenetus

Aenetus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 24 described species found in Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand....
 cohici was not long ago discovered in New Caledonia
New Caledonia

New Caledonia , is a "sui generis collectivity" of France located in the subregion of Melanesia in the Oceania. It comprises a main island , the Loyalty Islands, and several smaller islands....
. In the Oriental
Oriental

Oriental means generally "eastern". It is a traditional designation for anything belonging to the Eastern world or "East" , and especially of its Eastern culture to include the peoples....
 and Neotropical regions hepialids have diversified
Adaptive radiation

An adaptive radiation is a rapid evolutionary radiation characterized by an increase in the morphological and ecological diversity of a single, rapidly diversifying lineage....
 in rainforest environments but this not apparently the case in the Afrotropics. Hepialids mostly have low dispersive powers and do not occur on Oceanic islands with the exception of Phassodes on Fiji
Fiji

Fiji , officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands , is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu....
 and Western Samoa and a few species in Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 and Kurile Islands. Whilst the type locality of Eudalaca
Eudalaca

Eudalaca is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 35 described species, most restricted to South Africa but a few found further north in the continent....
 sanctahelena is from the remote island of St Helena, this is thought to be an error for South Africa.

Behaviour

Swift moths are crepuscular
Crepuscular

Crepuscular is a term used to describe some animals that are primarily active during twilight, that is at dawn and at dusk. The word is derived from the Latin word crepusculum, meaning "twilight"....
 and some species form leks, also though to have arisen independently
Convergent evolution

Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action....
 in the hepialoid genus Ogygioses (Palaeosetidae
Palaeosetidae

Palaeosetidae or "Miniature Ghost Moths" is a Scientific classification of insects in the Lepidopteran Scientific classification contained within the Scientific classification Hepialoidea....
). 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
Pheromone

A pheromone is a chemical that triggers a natural behavioral response in another member of the opposite gender of the same species. There are alarm signal pheromones, food trail pheromones, sex pheromones, and many others that affect behavior or physiology....
 from scales
Scale (zoology)

In most biology nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration....
 on the metathoracic
Metathorax

The metathorax is the posterior of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the third pair of arthropod leg. Its principal sclerites are the metanotum , the metasternum , and the metapleuron on each side....
 tibiae
Arthropod leg

The arthropod leg is a form of jointed appendage of arthropods, usually used for walking. Many of the terms used for arthropod leg segments are of Latin origin, and may be confused with terms for bones: coxa , trochanter , femur, tibia, tarsus , ischium, metatarsus, carpus, dactylus , patella....
. In such cases of sex role reversal, there may be visual cues also: males of the European Ghost Swift
Ghost Moth

The Ghost Moth , also known as the Ghost Swift, is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is common throughout Europe except for the far south-east....
 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 structure of some pheromone
Pheromone

A pheromone is a chemical that triggers a natural behavioral response in another member of the opposite gender of the same species. There are alarm signal pheromones, food trail pheromones, sex pheromones, and many others that affect behavior or physiology....
s have been analysed.

Biology

The female does not lay its eggs
Egg (biology)

In most birds and reptiles, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. To enable incubation the egg is usually kept within a favourable temperature range as it nourishes and protects the growing embryo....
 in a specific location but scatters ("broadcasts") them while in flight, sometimes in huge numbers (29,000 were recorded from a single female Trictena
Trictena

Trictena is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are three described species, all endemic to Australia....
, which is presumably a world record for the Lepidoptera). The maggot-like larva
Larva

A larva is a young form of animal with indirect developmental biology, going through or undergoing metamorphosis .The larva can look completely different from the adult form, for example, a caterpillar differs from a butterfly....
e feed in a variety of ways. Probably all Exoporia
Exoporia

Exoporia are a group of primitive Lepidoptera comprising the superfamilies Mnesarchaeoidea and Hepialoidea . Exoporia is a natural group or clade which is the sister group of the lepidopteran infraorder Heteroneura....
 have concealed larvae, making silken tunnels in all manner of substrates. Some species feed on leaf litter, fungi, mosses, decaying vegetation, fern
Fern

A fern is any one of a group of about 20,000 species of plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta....
s, gymnosperms and a wide span of monocot and dicot plants. There is very little evidence of hostplant specialisation; whilst the South African species Leto venus
Leto venus

Leto is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is L. venus which is endemic to South Africa. The larval food plant is Virgilia ....
 is restricted to the tree Virgilia capensis
Virgilia (genus)

Virgilia is a genus of Southern African trees in the family Fabaceae, having shiny to hairy pinnate leaves and attractive mauve to pink pea-shaped flowers followed by leathery pods....
 this may be a case of "ecological monophagy". A few feed on foliage (the austral
Southern Hemisphere

The Southern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is south of the equator?the word sphere literally means 'half ball'. It is also that half of the celestial sphere south of the celestial equator....
 'oxyacanine' genera which may drag foliage into their feeding tunnel: Nielsen et al, 2000: 825). Most feed underground on fine root
Root

In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial root or aerating ....
s, at least in early instar
Instar

An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each ecdysis , until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form....
s and some then feed internally in tunnels in the stem or trunk of their hostplants. The has rows of dorsal
Dorsum (biology)

In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run, fly, or swim in a horizontal position, and the back side of animals that walk upright....
 spines on the abdominal segments
Abdomen

In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity....
 as in other lower members of the Heteroneura
Heteroneura

Heteroneura is a natural group in the insect Order Lepidoptera that comprises over 99% of all Butterfly and moths. This is the sister group of the infraorder Exoporia , and is characterised by wing venation which is not similar or homoneurous in both pairs of wings....
.

Economic significance

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

Caterpillars are the larval form of a member of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly phytophagous in food habit, with some species being entomophagous....
-attacking fungi Cordyceps
Cordyceps

Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi that includes about 400 described species. All Cordyceps species are Parasitoid#Types_of_parasitoids, mainly on insects and other arthropods ; a few are parasitic on other fungi....
, and these can form an expensive ingredient. The Witchetty grub
Witchetty grub

The witchetty grub is a term used in Australia for the large, white, wood-eating larvae of several moths. Particularly it applies to the larva of the Cossidae Endoxyla leucomochla, which feeds on the roots of the Acacia kempeana that is found in central Australia....
 (which are sometimes hepialid larvae) is a popular food sources especially among aboriginal Australians. In Central America
Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
 and South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
, hepialid larvae are also eaten. However, some species of Wiseana
Wiseana

Wiseana is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are seven described species, all endemic to New Zealand....
, Oncopera
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....
, Oxycanus
Oxycanus

Oxycanus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 71 described species found in Australia and New Guinea....
, Fraus
Fraus

In Roman mythology, Fraus was the goddess of treachery. A helper of Mercury , the word "fraud" has its origin in her name. Her Greek equivalent was Apate....
 and Dalaca
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....
 are considered pests of pastures in Australia, New Zealand and South America.

Faunas


Fauna of Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....

Source and identification
  • Gazoryctra
    Gazoryctra

    Gazoryctra is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 14 described species found in Eurasia, Canada and the United States....
     fuscoargentea     O. Bang-Haas 1927 - Northern Scandinavia
    Scandinavia

    Scandinavia is a historical and geographical subregion in northern Europe that includes the Scandinavian Peninsula. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark; some authorities also include Finland and some might even include Iceland....
  • Gazoryctra
    Gazoryctra

    Gazoryctra is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 14 described species found in Eurasia, Canada and the United States....
     ganna     (Hübner 1808)- Alps
    Alps

    The Alps is the name for one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east; through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany; to France in the west....
    , northern Scandinavia, northern Russia
    Russia

    Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
  • Hepialus humuli Linnaeus 1758 Ghost Moth
    Ghost Moth

    The Ghost Moth , also known as the Ghost Swift, is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is common throughout Europe except for the far south-east....
     - Europe
  • Korscheltellus
    Korscheltellus

    Korscheltellus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. It consists of two widespread species, the familiar Common Swift of Europe and the Conifer Swift of Canada and the eastern United States....
     lupulinus     Linnaeus 1758 Common Swift
    Common Swift (moth)

    The Common Swift is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It was previously placed in the genus Hepialus. It is a common, often abundant European species....
     - Europe
  • Pharmacis
    Pharmacis

    Pharmacis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species found in Eurasia....
     aemiliana     Costantini 1911 - Italy
    Italy

    Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
  • Pharmacis
    Pharmacis

    Pharmacis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species found in Eurasia....
     anselminae     Teobaldelli 1977- Italy
  • Pharmacis
    Pharmacis

    Pharmacis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species found in Eurasia....
     bertrandi     Le Cerf 1936 - France
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
  • Pharmacis
    Pharmacis

    Pharmacis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species found in Eurasia....
     carna     Denis & Schiffermüller 1775 - Central and Eastern Europe
  • Pharmacis
    Pharmacis

    Pharmacis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species found in Eurasia....
     castillana     Oberthür 1883 - Spain
    Spain

    Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
  • Pharmacis
    Pharmacis

    Pharmacis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species found in Eurasia....
     claudiae     Kristal & Hirneisen 1994 - Italy
  • Pharmacis
    Pharmacis

    Pharmacis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species found in Eurasia....
     fusconebulosa     De Geer 1778 Map-winged Swift
    Map-winged Swift

    The Map-winged Swift is a moth belonging to the family Hepialidae. It has a patchy distribution throughout Eurasia. It was previously placed in the genus Hepialus and some references still place it there....
     - Europe
  • Pharmacis
    Pharmacis

    Pharmacis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species found in Eurasia....
     pyrenaica     Donzel 1838 - Pyrenees
    Pyrenees

    The Pyrenees are a mountain range in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain. They separate the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe, and extend for about from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea ....
  • Phymatopus
    Phymatopus

    Phymatopus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are six described species scattered across the Northern Hemisphere, placed in two groups....
     hecta     Linnaeus 1758 Gold Swift
    Gold Swift

    The Gold Swift is a species of moth belonging to the family Hepialidae. Until recently it was placed in the genus Hepialus. It is a widespread species of Europe, its distribution following that of its foodplant, bracken....
     - Central and northern Europe
  • Triodia
    Triodia (animal genus)

    This article is about the genus of moths. For the genus of grasses see Triodia Triodia is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are seven described species found in northern and western Eurasia....
     adriaticus     Osthelder 1931 - Croatia
    Croatia

    Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a Central European country at the crossroads of Pannonian Plain, Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea....
    , Macedonia
    Republic of Macedonia

    The Republic of Macedonia , , often referred to simply as Macedonia, is a landlocked country on the Balkans in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south and Albania to the west....
    , Greece
    Greece

    Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
    , Crete
    Crete

    Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and the List of islands in the Mediterranean largest island in the Mediterranean Sea at 8,336 km? ....
  • Triodia
    Triodia (animal genus)

    This article is about the genus of moths. For the genus of grasses see Triodia Triodia is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are seven described species found in northern and western Eurasia....
     amasina     Herrich-Schäffer 1851 - Balkans
    Balkans

    The Balkans is the historical name of a geographic subregion of southeastern Europe. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains, which run through the centre of Bulgaria into eastern Serbia....
  • Triodia
    Triodia (animal genus)

    This article is about the genus of moths. For the genus of grasses see Triodia Triodia is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are seven described species found in northern and western Eurasia....
     sylvina     Linnaeus 1761 Orange Swift
    Orange Swift

    The Orange Swift , also known as "Orange Moth" , is a species of moth belonging to the family Hepialidae. It was previously placed in the genus Hepialus....
     - Europe


Cited literature


External links



Generic checklist

  • Fraus
    Fraus (genus)

    Fraus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 25 described species, all endemic to Australia....
     Walker, 1856
    • =Hectomanes Meyrick, 1980
    • =Praus; Pagenstacher, 1909
  • Gazoryctra
    Gazoryctra

    Gazoryctra is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 14 described species found in Eurasia, Canada and the United States....
     Hübner, [1820]
    • =Garzorycta; Hübner, [1826]
    • =Gazoryctes; Kirby, 1892
  • Afrotheora
    Afrotheora

    Afrotheora is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 7 described species, all found in southern Africa....
     Nielsen and Scoble, 1986
  • Antihepialus
    Antihepialus

    Antihepialus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are four described species, found in southern and eastern Africa....
     Janse, 1942
    • =Ptycholoma; Felder, 1874
  • Bipectilis
    Bipectilis

    Bipectilis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species in the genus, distributed through China, Nepal and Vietnam....
     Chus and Wang, 1985
  • Palpifer
    Palpifer

    Palpifer is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 10 described species found in south and east Asia....
     Hampson, [1893]
    • =Palpiphorus; Quail, 1900
    • =Palpiphora; Pagenstacher, 1909
  • Eudalaca
    Eudalaca

    Eudalaca is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 35 described species, most restricted to South Africa but a few found further north in the continent....
     Viette, 1950
    • =Eudalacina Paclt, 1953
  • Gorgopis
    Gorgopis

    Gorgopis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 28 described species found in southern and eastern Africa.Species ...
     Hübner, [1820]
    • =Gorcopis; Walker, 1856
  • Metahepialus
    Metahepialus

    Metahepialus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are three described species, all endemic to South Africa....
     Janse, 1942
  • Dalaca
    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....
     Walker, 1856
    • =Huapina Bryk, 1945
    • =Maculella Viette, 1950
    • =Toenga Tindale, 1954
  • Callipielus
    Callipielus

    Callipielus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 10 described species, all found in southern South America....
     Butler, 1882
    • =Stachyocera Ureta, 1957
  • Blanchardinella Nielsen, Robinson & Wagner, 2000
    • =Blanchardina Viette, 1950, nec Labbe, 1899
  • Calada
    Calada

    Calada is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are two described species, both endemic to Argentina....
     Nielsen and Robinson, 1983
  • Puermytrans
    Puermytrans

    Puermytrans is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is P. chilensis of Chile.External links...
     Viette, 1951
  • Parapielus Viette, 1949
    • =Lossbergiana Viette, 1951
  • Andeabatis
    Andeabatis

    Andeabatis is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only species is Andeabatis chilensis of southern South America....
     Nielsen and Robinson, 1983
  • Druceiella
    Druceiella

    Druceiella is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are currently 4 described species although a revision of the genus is currently being carried out which will add at least 4 new species....
     Viette, 1949
  • Trichophassus
    Trichophassus

    Trichophassus is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is T. giganteus which is endemic to Brazil....
     Le Cerf, 1919
  • Phassus
    Phassus

    Phassus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 21 described species distributed from Mexico south to Brazil.Species...
     Walker, 1856
  • Schausiana
    Schausiana

    Schausiana is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is S. trojesa which is endemic to Mexico....
     Viette, 1950
  • Aplatissa
    Aplatissa

    Aplatissa is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are two described species, both endemic to Brazil....
     Viette, 1953
  • Pfitzneriana
    Pfitzneriana

    'Pfitzneriana' is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are four described species, all found in South America.Species*P....
     Viette, 1952
  • Cibyra
    Cibyra

    Cibyra is a genus of moths of the family Hepalidae. There are 50 described species, found throughout Central America and South America....
     Walker, 1856
  • Cibyra (Pseudodalaca Viette, 1950)
  • Cibyra (Gymelloxes Viette, 1952)
  • Cibyra (Alloaepytus Viette, 1951)
  • Cibyra (Aeptus) Herrich-Schäffer, [1858]
  • Cibyra (Thiastyx Viette, 1951)
  • Cibyra (Schaefferiana Viette, 1950)
  • Cibyra (Paragorgopis Viette, 1952)
  • Cibyra (Hepialyxodes Viette, 1951)
  • Cibyra (Xytrops Viette, 1951)
  • Cibyra (Cibyra
    Cibyra

    Cibyra is a genus of moths of the family Hepalidae. There are 50 described species, found throughout Central America and South America....
     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

    Phialuse is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is P. palmar of Bolivia.External links...
     Viette, 1961
  • Roseala
    Roseala

    Roseala is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is R. bourgognei which is endemic to Brazil....
     Viette, 1950
  • Dalaca
    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....
     auctt., nec Walker, 1856
  • Pfitzneriella
    Pfitzneriella

    Pfitzneriella is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are four described species restricted to Ecuador and Peru....
     Viette, 1951
  • Aoraia
    Aoraia

    Aoraia is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 13 described species, all endemic to New Zealand. This genus contains some large species with a wingspan of up to 150 mm....
     Dumbleton, 1966
    • =Trioxycanus Dumbleton, 1966
  • Triodia
    Triodia (animal genus)

    This article is about the genus of moths. For the genus of grasses see Triodia Triodia is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are seven described species found in northern and western Eurasia....
    • =Alphus Wallengren, 1869, nec Dejean, 1833
  • Korscheltellus
    Korscheltellus

    Korscheltellus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. It consists of two widespread species, the familiar Common Swift of Europe and the Conifer Swift of Canada and the eastern United States....
     Börner, 1920
  • Pharmacis
    Pharmacis

    Pharmacis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species found in Eurasia....
     Hübner, [1820]
  • Thitarodes
    Thitarodes

    Thitarodes is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 48 described species found in eastern Asia. The majority are restricted to the Tibetan Plateau....
     Viette, 1968
    • =Forkalus Chu and Wang, 1985
  • Phymatopus
    Phymatopus

    Phymatopus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are six described species scattered across the Northern Hemisphere, placed in two groups....
     Wallengren, 1869
    • =Hepiolopsis Börner, 1920
    • =Phimatopus; auctt.
  • Phymatopus
    Phymatopus

    Phymatopus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are six described species scattered across the Northern Hemisphere, placed in two groups....
     auctt. nec Wallengren, 1869
  • Hepialus Fabricius, 1775
    • =Hepiolus Illiger, 1801
    • =Epialus Agassiz, 1847
    • =Epiolus Agassiz, 1847
    • =Tephus Wallengren, 1869
    • =Trepialus; Latreille, [1805]
  • Zenophassus
    Zenophassus

    Zenophassus is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is Z. schamyl of Georgia . The larva of this species feeds on grapevines....
     Tindale, 1941
  • Sthenopis
    Sthenopis

    Sthenopis is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are eight described species found in North America and China....
     auctt. nec Packard, [1865]
  • Endoclita
    Endoclita

    Endoclita is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 60 described species found in eastern and southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent....
    ; Felder, 1874
    • =Endoclyta, Felder, 1875
    • =Hypophassus, Le Cerf, 1919
    • =Nevina, Tindale, 1941
    • =Sahyadrassus, Tindale, 1941
    • =Procharagia, Viette, 1949
  • Neohepialiscus
    Neohepialiscus

    Neohepialiscus is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is N. algeriensis of Algeria and Tunisia....
     Viette, 1948
  • Elhamma
    Elhamma

    Elhamma is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are four described species found in Australia and New Guinea....
     Walker, 1856
    • =Perissectis Meyrick, 1890
    • =Pericentris; Pagenstacher, 1909
    • =Zauxieus Viette, 1952
    • =Theaxieus Viette, 1952
  • Jeana
    Jeana

    Jeana is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are two described species, both endemic to Australia....
     Tindale, 1935
  • Cladoxycanus
    Cladoxycanus

    Cladoxycanus minos is a monotypic species of moth belonging to the family Hepialidae. It is endemism to New Zealand.External links...
     Dumbleton, 1966
  • Wiseana
    Wiseana

    Wiseana is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are seven described species, all endemic to New Zealand....
     Viette, 1961
    • =Porina Walker, 1956, nec d'Orbigny, 1852
    • =Gorina; Quail, 1899
    • =Goryna; Quail, 1899
    • =Philpottia Viette, 1950, nec Broun, 1915
  • Heloxycanus
    Heloxycanus

    Heloxycanus patricki is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae, the only member of the genus Heloxycanus. The species is named for its discoverer Brian Patrick....
     Dugdale, 1994
  • Dumbletonius
    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....
    ; auctt
    • =Trioxycanus Dumbleton, 1966
  • Dioxycanus
    Dioxycanus

    Dioxycanus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 2 described species, both endemic to New Zealand....
     Dumbleton, 1966
  • Napialus
    Napialus

    Napialus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are three described species, all endemic to China....
     Chu and Wang, 1985
  • Hepialiscus
    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 grasses....
     Hampson, [1893]
  • Parahepialiscus
    Parahepialiscus

    Parahepialiscus is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is P. borneensis of Borneo....
     Viette, 1950
  • Xhoaphryx
    Xhoaphryx

    Xhoaphryx is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only described species is X. lemeei of Vietnam.External links...
     Viette, 1953
  • Aenetus
    Aenetus

    Aenetus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 24 described species found in Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand....
     Herrich-Schäffer, [1858]
    • =Charagia Walker, 1856
    • =Phloiopsyche Scott, 1864
    • =Oenetus; Kirby, 1892
    • =Choragia; Pagenstacher, 1909
    • =Oenetes; Oke, 1953
  • Leto Hübner, [1820]
    • =Ecto; Pagenstacher, 1909
  • Zelotypia
    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....
     Scott, 1869
    • =Xylopsyche Swainson, 1851
    • =Leto; auctt
  • Oncopera
    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....
    • =Oncoptera Walker, 1890
    • =Paroncopera Tindale, 1933
    • =Onchopera; Birket-Smith, 1974
    • =Onchoptera; Birket-Smith, 1974
  • Trictena
    Trictena

    Trictena is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are three described species, all endemic to Australia....
     Meyrick, 1890
  • Bordaia
    Bordaia

    Bordaia is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are five described species, all endemic to Australia....
     Tindale, 1932
    • =Bordaja; Chu and Wang, 1985
  • Abantiades
    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....
     Herrich-Schäffer, [1858]
    • =Pielus Walker, 1856
    • =Rhizopsyche Scott, 1864
  • Oxycanus
    Oxycanus

    Oxycanus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 71 described species found in Australia and New Guinea....
     Walker, 1856
    • =Porina Walker, 1856
    • =Gorina; Quail, 1899
    • =Goryna; Quail, 1899
    • =Paraoxyxanus Viette, 1950
  • Phassodes
    Phassodes

    Phassodes is a monotypic moth genus of the family Hepialidae. The only species is considered to be P. vitiensis which is found in Fiji and possibly Samoa....
     Bethune-Baker, 1905