ghost moth

noun

1. swift.

ghost moth

noun

1. any of various large pale moths of the family Hepialidae that are active at dusk

Word History and Origins

Origin of ghost moth¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

It’s an apt, if scientifically inaccurate, name for a macabre instance of symbiosis that begins when the underground larvae of the ghost moth are infected by ophiocordyceps spores.

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Also on the list is the less appealing Ophiocordyceps sinensis - or caterpillar fungus, which grows in the heads of ghost moth larvae on the Tibetan Plateau.

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Natives called it “Ghost Moth” or “White Witch.”

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It’s a ghost moth larvae that has been mummified by the fungus, and is an aphrodisiac as well as the most expensive mushroom in the world.

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While tigers tend to give birth to three or four cubs at a time, a ghost moth in Australia was once recorded laying 29,100 eggs, and she still had 15,000 in her ovaries.

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