Genus Sthenopis

Classification · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References

Alberta moth4 - Sthenopis purpurascens - female

Hepialidae: Sthenopis purpurascens - Sthenopis purpurascens - female

Four Spotted Ghost Moth - Sthenopis purpurascens

Four Spotted Ghost Moth (Sthenopis purpurascens) OVA - Sthenopis purpurascens

Willow Ghost Moth (Sthenopis thule) - Sthenopis thule

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Hepialoidea (Ghost Moths)

Family Hepialidae (Ghost Moths)

Genus Sthenopis

Numbers

5 species listed in North America (nearctica.com) but the total is reduced to 4 when S. quadriguttatus is removed [see Remarks section below]

Size

wingspan 50-100 mm

larvae to 60 mm

Identification

adult with very short antennae and no mouthparts (typical of family Hepialidae); forewing long with pointed apex, variably colored yellowish, brownish, or grayish, and usually with silver markings

Range

mostly northern United States and southern Canada; one species occurs north to Northwest Territories, and south to Arizona

Habitat

deciduous and mixed woodlands usually bordering or near water

Season

adults fly at dusk from June to August

Food

larvae bore in roots of trees

Life Cycle

development takes 1-2 years to complete; adults are short-lived and do not feed (they have no mouthparts)

Remarks

The species S. purpurascens has a purplish-gray form and a yellowish-brown form. Until recently the yellowish-brown form was thought to be a separate species, S. quadriguttatus. (see U. of Alberta reference)

Internet References

pinned adult image of S. purpurascens plus other info (Strickland Entomological Museum, U. of Alberta)

pinned adult image of "S. quadriguttatus", now recognized as the yellowish-brown form of S. purpurascens [see Remarks section above] plus other info (Gerald Fauske, Moths of North Dakota)

pinned adult images of S. argenteomaculatus, auratus, and the yellowish-brown form of S. purpurascens, labelled "S. quadriguttatus" (Canadian Forest Service)

link to pinned adult image of S. thule, showing mostly whitish unmarked wings with only a strip of orange along costa of forewing (Insect Collecters Shoppe, Quebec)

live and pinned images, distribution, life cycle and systematics information (John Grehan)

Contributed by Tony DiTerlizzi on 28 March, 2005 - 10:37pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, marcie oconnor
Last updated 11 April, 2016 - 10:02am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version