FAMILY 03: HEPIALIDAE (4G 5S)Suborder: Glossata Infarorder: Exoporia Superfamily: Hepialoidea
Refs: MBGBI1, Waring & Townsend |
The taxonomy of this family has been extensively revised and our 5 British species, formerly all considered within genus Hepialus, have now been placed into 4 separate genera. The rationale for the distinctions between these genera is not clear to me.
Ref: Ghost-moths of the world: a global inventory and bibliography of the Exoporia (Mnesarchaeoidea and Hepialoidea) (Lepidoptera), Journal of Natural History, 2000, 34, 823–878; Nielsen et al.
Medium-sized (ws 25-50mm)
Antennae short - <1/4 length of forewing. Proboscis absent. Labial palps short, drooping and ciliate. Maxillary palps minute or vestigial.
Forewing venation similar to hindwing venation; jugum present; fibula absent; wings held almost vertically at rest.
Females have longer wings with less intense markings than males.
Hindtibiae densely rough-haired. Midtibiae and hindtibiae lack spurs. (Hindtarsi absent in male Phymatopus hecta)
Genitalia very different from all other families. The only family with Exoporian female genitalia - with two genital openings on fused segment 9-10 connected by an external groove. Males have an entirely membranous (unsclerotised) aedeagus.
Four of the five British species are sexually dimorphic - males are shown on the left below.
Ref: Ghost-moths of the world: a global inventory and bibliography of the Exoporia (Mnesarchaeoidea and Hepialoidea) (Lepidoptera), Journal of Natural History, 2000, 34, 823–878; Nielsen et al.
Medium-sized (ws 25-50mm)
Antennae short - <1/4 length of forewing. Proboscis absent. Labial palps short, drooping and ciliate. Maxillary palps minute or vestigial.
Forewing venation similar to hindwing venation; jugum present; fibula absent; wings held almost vertically at rest.
Females have longer wings with less intense markings than males.
Hindtibiae densely rough-haired. Midtibiae and hindtibiae lack spurs. (Hindtarsi absent in male Phymatopus hecta)
Genitalia very different from all other families. The only family with Exoporian female genitalia - with two genital openings on fused segment 9-10 connected by an external groove. Males have an entirely membranous (unsclerotised) aedeagus.
Four of the five British species are sexually dimorphic - males are shown on the left below.
Trioda
001 Trioda sylvina (Orange Swift)
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Khorscheltellus (2S)
002 Khorscheltellus lupulina (Common Swift)
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003 Khorscheltellus fusconebulosa (Map-winged Swift)
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Phymatopus
004 Phymatopus hecta (Gold Swift)
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Hepialus
005 Hepialus humuli (Ghost Moth),
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Key to species:
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Forewing with chequered cilia
Forewing unmarked white (cilia buff), 21mm+ Forewing ground colour pale yellowish Forewing with antemedian & postmedian pale fasciae parallel to termen Pale fascial markings form an acute V (point dorsal and open) The rest * |
Korscheltellus fusconebulosa (Map-winged Swift) ♂ and ♀
Hepialus humuli (Ghost Moth) ♂ Hepialus humuli (Ghost Moth) ♀ Phymatopus hecta (Gold Swift) (fasciae white ♂, pale fuscous ♀) Trioda sylvina (Orange Swift) ♂ (antenna lamellate) and ♀ Khorscheltellus lupulina (Common Swift) ♂ and ♀ |
* Common Swift is very variable and may be plain; male fw may be extensively white; where the pale/white markings form a V it is obtuse
 Trioda sylvina, male, showing short lamellate antenna and absent proboscis (males of all other Hepialus spp have simple antennae)  Phymatopus hecta, forewing  Phymatopus hecta, hindwing  Hepialus humuli, male. Foretibia (left) appears to lack an epiphysis, midtibia and hindtibia lack spurs, hindtibia densely rough-haired |
 Hepialus humuli, male showing short simple antenna  Phymatopus hecta, forewing showing venation  Phymatopus hecta, hindwing showing venation 
Phymatopus hecta (Gold Swift), male. Hindtibia (left) much modified and hindtarsus absent
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abdomen of Kortschetellus lupulina
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All images © Chris Lewis
Page amended 24/04/2018
