3.005 BF14

Ghost Moth Hepialus humuli

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Wingspan c.50 mm.

A relatively common species over much of Britain, the English name 'Ghost' comes from the white males, which can sometimes be seen at dusk, 'hovering' over grassy areas.

The females are quite different, being yellow, marked with orange. The adults fly during June and July, perhaps into August.

The larvae, similar to other Hepialidae, feed underground on the roots of grasses and low herbaceous plants.