Swift moths, also known as ghost moths, belong to the family Hepialidae. This group includes around 500 species found all over the world, with five species living in the UK. They are among the most primitive types of moths, showing features that give scientists clues about the early evolution of the group.

Swift moths are sturdy, fast-flying insects with short antennae and a rapid, darting flight, which gives them their name. Most adult swift moths do not feed, as they have very small or non-functional mouthparts. Instead, they rely on the food reserves they stored up as caterpillars.

The caterpillars of swift moths usually live underground, where they feed on the roots of grasses and other plants, or sometimes in rotting wood. Because of this hidden lifestyle, they are rarely seen.

One of the best-known British species is the Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli), famous for the male’s bright white wings and his hovering display flight at dusk, which looks almost ghostly against the twilight. Other UK species include the Orange Swift (Triodia sylvina) and the Common Swift (Korscheltellus lupulina), which are often seen on warm summer evenings.

Though not as well known as many other moths, swift moths are an important part of grassland and woodland ecosystems, linking the underground world of plant roots with the open air above.