Map-winged Swift       Ghost Moth
3.004 BF0016  –  Hepialidae – Phymatopus hecta – Gold Swift – (Linnaeus,1758) Adult Macro:  CAT 1 – Distinctive species unlikely to be confused with others –       PDF Icon – click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines
Blue –  Generally Common / Widespread   
Taxonomy:   Macro   >>  Hepialidae
Other Name/s: Hepialus hecta
ID Difficulty:  green  – easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.
ID pointers: The moth is fairly straight forward to identify – The male is brightly marked with distinctive reddish chestnut brown forewing intricately marked with gold spots & blotches that are distinctive across the forewings. The female is duller and less brightly marked with greyish/purplish bands across the forewings.
Distribution:  A resident species that is widely distributed and common in Derbyshire woods where Bracken is a predominant species of understorey cover. 
Flight Period: May /  June /  July /  –  On the wing mid-May – end July. Moth Activity: Crepuscular  Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Tony Davison  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 13-16mm
Forewing: 12-15mm Food Plant: Bracken
Recorded dates for Common [Blue code Blue-coded] moths are not stored on the website at this current time.
Selected Images:  Melbourne, Derbyshire – Image by Tony Davison

3.004 BF0016 - Gold Swift - Hepialidae - Phymatopus hecta
Gold Swift – Phymatopus hecta
3.004 BF0016 - Gold Swift - Hepialidae - Phymatopus hecta


Image Gallery

Gold Swift - male - Melbourne - Tony Davison©

Distribution Map for Phymatopus hecta

Found 61 records
    ↳ 3 from After 2025
    ↳ 12 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 46 from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

If the Map Layers function fails, just refresh the page and it should be OK after. Use the +- zoom on the top left, or on a tablet, use two fingers to zoom. Remember, the last layer you ticked is the one which displays the popup information - they sit on top of each other - de-select then re-select, to see the popup values.

Bedrock Geology ** indirectly affects moth distribution by influencing the type of habitat and food plants available in an area. In turn, this may affect the types of moths that can thrive, or where they can most likely be found.


NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Phymatopus hecta

⚠️ Please wait for the map to load fully – do not click the link shown.


Note – the NBN Atlas datasets are listed in the map below and vary in their currency (uptodateness) – however, the map does give a general indication of the moth's distribution across the UK.

Visit NBN Site


Monthly Records By Year: Phymatopus hecta
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Monthly Counts By Year: Phymatopus hecta
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )


First/Last Recorded Dates: Phymatopus hecta
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]

Shading shows moth presence between dates

Click the colour discs below to Select/De-select as Required

Recordings By Year: Phymatopus hecta
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Phymatopus hecta
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%


CUSUM Analysis: Phymatopus hecta
About this chart: CUSUM (Cumulative Sum) charts track long-term trends in moth populations [ filtered by 'Adult' and 'Mine' life stages ] by showing whether each year’s counts are above or below the historical average. Even small shifts build up over time, making trends of growth, stability, or decline easier to see. CUSUM highlights trend-consistency — asking: “Across the years, have moth counts mostly stayed above or below average?”
The data sample has 10 gap year/s here (zero records) between 2000 and 2025. The moth may have been present in those gap years, but no data was available. Too many year-gaps may exaggerate or skew the chart.

Counts for the current year (2025) are pro-rated based on data available up to month 8 (August) to provide a full-year equivalent.

ⓘ Purple line rises = years better than average; falls = years worse than average.
Peak (best year) Trough (worst year) Growth periods Decline periods
Population peaked around 2007, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2002, showing a significant decline.

What the Y-axis "Cumulative Deviation" means: Cumulative Deviation shows the running total of how each year’s moth population count differs from the long-term average. i

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Phymatopus hecta
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Phymatopus hecta
( data includes Adult Stage only )

Flight Period chart – the grey hatched area above, which can cross one or more months, pictorially represents the best guess we have for this moth's flight periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen in flight, from site observation records received between 2020-2025.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Phymatopus hecta – 61 records available

Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Padfield, Glossop SK, UKSK09I17/06/20251Adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U21/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Cown Edge Farm marshSK09A30/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Longdendale, Wildboar Clough Woodland southeastSK09U07/07/20245adultvc57_irecords_extract
Longdendale, Lomg Gutter EdgeSK09U18/07/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Cressbrook Dale (SK)SK17S12/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire Wild Life Trust Long CloughSK09G15/05/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire Wild Life Trust Long CloughSK09G25/05/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U21/07/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U21/07/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U21/07/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire, UKSK07X12/07/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Marepiece Wood, Kinder ReservoirSK08N16/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
LightwoodSK07M02/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Waterswallows QuarrySK07X24/05/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire, UKSK07M05/06/20191Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Lightwood Resvr, BuxtonSK07M14/06/20191adultDanes_2019-2021
Pleasley Pit CP, PleasleySK46X24/07/20181Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Lady Canning's PlantationSK28W13/07/20141adultvc57_irecords_extract
Back Lane,GlapwellSK46T20/08/20121Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
High Peak Trail - Newhaven to HurdlowSK16H26/06/20121adultvc57_irecords_extract
Crich Chase,AmbergateSK35L09/06/20121Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Welbeck Drive,WingerworthSK36T17/08/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Welbeck Drive,WingerworthSK36T16/08/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Calke Park (Betty's Pool),TicknallSK32U03/06/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Lowes Hill,RipleySK35V06/06/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Hardhurst Rd, Alvaston, DerbySK33W03/06/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Flash Lane,Beeley MoorSK26X26/06/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Bow Wood,Lea Bridge,MatlockSK35D18/06/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Newboundmill Lane,PleasleySK56C02/06/20073Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Marepiece Plantation, nr Kinder Resr, HayfieldSK08N09/06/20071Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Church St,Holloway,MatlockSK35I23/08/20061Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Carvers Rocks, Hartshorne, SwadlincoteSK32G15/06/20061Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Whitwell Wood (centre area), Whitwell, WorksopSK57J18/06/20068Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
The Field,Shipley,IlkestonSK44M29/08/20053Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Whitwell Wood,Whitwell,WorksopSK57J01/07/20051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Seventy Acre Woods/Flash Lane, DerbyshireSK26Y23/06/20053adultvc57_irecords_extract
Beeley (Seventy Acre Wood)SK26Y23/06/20053Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Foremark Resr, TicknallSK32H25/06/200411Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
FOREMARK RESERVOIRSK32H22/05/20041adultvc57_irecords_extract
Foremark Res (Visitor's Centre),TicknallSK32G22/05/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
South Wood, Calke, TicknallSK32Q17/06/20021Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Ticknall Limeyards,TicknallSK32R20/06/19981Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Ticknall Limeyards,TicknallSK32R11/06/1997100Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Ticknall Limeyards,TicknallSK32R27/05/19971Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
The Field,Shipley,IlkestonSK44M06/08/19931Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Pond House, Mapperley Res, IlkestonSK44G15/08/19871Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Matlock Moor, Cuckoostone (near golf course)SK36B06/07/19821Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Ticknall (site not precise)SK32L23/06/19823Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Carvers Rocks, Hartshorne, SwadlincoteSK32G31/05/19821Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Crich Chase, Ambergate (site not precise)SK35L28/05/19821Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Trentlock, Sawley, Long EatonSK43V14/08/19811Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Mapperley Wood NR, Mapperley, IlkestonSK44G04/07/19811Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Askew Grove, ReptonSK32D10/06/19811Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Shipley Wood, Shipley Park, IlkestonSK44L04/06/19813Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Carvers Rocks NR, Hartshorne, Swadlincote (site not precise)SK32G13/06/19812Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Askew Grove, ReptonSK32D14/06/19812Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Mapperley Wood NR, Mapperley, IlkestonSK44G30/05/19811Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Welbeck Rd, BolsoverSK47V09/08/19691Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Hollingworth Clough, Hayfield (site not precise)SK08P08/06/19641Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Newbold Ave, ChesterfieldSK37R28/05/19601Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

 
Map-winged Swift       Ghost Moth

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