Bug FAQGold-spotted Ghost Moth
Sthenopis pretiosus · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hepialidae
The gold-spotted ghost moth (Sthenopis pretiosus) is a Hepialidae moth with a wingspan of about 60 to 70 mm. It occurs in Brazil, Venezuela, the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. Its caterpillars feed on ferns such as Athyrium, Dryopteris and Matteuccia.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The gold-spotted ghost moth belongs to the family Hepialidae and is scientifically named Sthenopis pretiosus.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan of roughly 60 to 70 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It can be found in Brazil, Venezuela, the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on fern species including Athyrium, Dryopteris and Matteuccia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes those same regions.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 15 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How large is the gold-spotted ghost moth?
Its wingspan ranges from about 60 to 70 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does this moth live?
It occurs in Brazil, Venezuela, the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on ferns such as Athyrium, Dryopteris and Matteuccia.
Source: Wikipedia
Why might this moth be confused with other species?
It has been described independently at least three times, creating multiple names that can cause mix-ups.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hepialidae)
Orange SwiftTriodia sylvina
Common Swift MothKorscheltellus lupulinaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Pūriri mothAenetus virescens
Four-spotted Ghost MothSthenopis purpurascens
Bog PorinaWiseana umbraculataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Conifer Swift MothKorscheltellus gracilisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sthenopis_pretiosus
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.