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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Hepialidae 110012 – 0031.1   Korscheltellus lupulina (Linnaeus, 1758)              Common Swift Moth

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Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Asteraceae Rosaceae Solanaceae.  Host genera: Cichorium Fragaria Lactuca Solanum.  Host extended: herbaceous plants (Beadle & Leckie 2012).  (Kimberley & Douglas 2025) Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: lupulina (Linnaeus, 1758) (Phalaena) - MONA 1983: [NEW] lupulina (Haworth, 1802) (Hepialus) albomarginata (Cockayne, 1955) (Hepialus) anteradiata Lempke, 1961 (Korscheltellus) continuata (van de Pol, 1961) (Hepialus) cora (Schrank, 1801) (Hepialus) dacicus (Caradja, 1893) (Hepialus) espanoli Pérez de Gregorio, 1981 (Korscheltellus) flina (Hübner, [1808]) (Bombyx) fuscata (van de Pol, 1961) (Hepialus) fuscus (Haworth, 1809) (Hepialus) incerta (Millière, 1886) (Psilothrix) intermedia (Spuler, 1910) (Hepialus) latemarginatus (Bytinski-Salz, 1939) (Hepialus) lupulator (Haworth, 1802) (Hepialus) maculata (van de Pol, 1961) (Hepialus) nigrescens (Cockayne, 1955) (Hepialus) obliquator (Haworth, 1802) (Hepialus) obliquus (Fabricius, 1794) (Hepialus) obscura (van de Pol, 1961) (Hepialus) pallida Lempke, 1961 (Korscheltellus) pauper (van de Pol, 1961) (Hepialus) reducta (van de Pol, 1961) (Hepialus) senex (Pfitzner, 1912) (Hepialus) serraticornis (Gmelin, [1790]) (Hepialus) unicolor (Spuler, 1910) (Hepialus) variegata (van de Pol, 1961) (Hepialus) Taxonomic Notes: Korscheltellus lupulina (Linnaeus, 1758) is now recognized within the North American fauna north of Mexico (Grehan & Landry 2018).

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced. Grehan, J. R. & J.-F. Landry, 2018. Surreptitious invasion into North America by the European ghost moth Korscheltellus lupulina (Lepidoptera:Hepialidae). News of the Lepidopterists’ Society, 60(4): 202-204. Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online) Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at iNaturalist

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