Bug FAQConifer Swift Moth
Korscheltellus gracilis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hepialidae
Also called: Graceful ghost moth
Source: Wikipedia
Adults have a cryptic coloration that helps them blend into their surroundings. They live in woody areas of eastern and central North America, from Canada down to North Carolina. Larvae feed on the roots of evergreen trees, especially balsam fir and red spruce, but can also survive on birch.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The moth is cryptically colored.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Adults are found in woody areas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed mainly on the roots of evergreen trees and can also use deciduous trees like birch, preferring balsam fir and red spruce.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae need two years to mature, so populations tend to follow a two-year cycle. Courtship, mating and egg laying occur in the evening, while oviposition happens only in the morning.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults can be found between June and August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to eastern and central North America, ranging from Canada south to North Carolina.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maine, North Carolina, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Vermont, Michigan, New Hampshire, Maryland.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see adult conifer swift moths?
Adults appear in woody areas from June through August.
Source: Wikipedia
What trees do the larvae damage?
The larvae feed on the roots of evergreen trees such as balsam fir and red spruce and can also survive on birch.
Source: Wikipedia
When do they mate and lay eggs?
Courtship, mating and egg laying happen in the evening, with oviposition only in the morning.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hepialidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conifer_swift
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.