Bug FAQFour-spotted Ghost Moth
Sthenopis purpurascens · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hepialidae
The moth’s wingspan ranges from about 66 to 100 mm. It occurs in two colour forms, purple-grey or yellow-brown, and its hindwings are usually plain purple-brown or salmon-pink.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Two colour forms exist, purple-grey or yellow-brown, and the hindwings are generally unmarked, showing purple-brown or salmon-pink.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures between 66 and 100 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 12 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Minnesota, Alaska, Michigan, Maine, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Arizona, South Dakota.
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
Same family (Hepialidae)
Orange SwiftTriodia sylvina
Common Swift MothKorscheltellus lupulinaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Pūriri mothAenetus virescens
Bog PorinaWiseana umbraculataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Conifer Swift MothKorscheltellus gracilisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver-spotted Ghost MothSthenopis argenteomaculatusSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sthenopis_purpurascens
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.