Phymatopus (originally: Noctua Linnaeus, 1758) is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae (commonly referred to as swift moths or ghost moths), which consists of around 500 species and 30 genera. The genus was erected by Hans Daniel Johan Wallengren in 1869. They can be found across Eurasia and North America. Species can be distinguished by the different morphology of male genitalia and different forewing patterns, which vary in stripe colour and size and arrangement of spots. The stripes themselves consist of spots separated by dark veins which are fringed by thin black lines from both inner and outer sides. Species Phymatopus hecta (gold swift) - Europe Food plant: Pteridium, but many others are named in the European literature Phymatopus japonicus - Japan Food plant: Pteridium Phymatopus hectica - eastern Russia Phymatopus auctt. nec Wallengren, 1869 Phymatopus behrensii - United States Recorded food plants: Helenium, Lupinus, Malus, various ferns Phymatopus californicus - United States Recorded food plants: Baccharis, Eriophyllum Phymatopus hectoides - United States Recorded food plants: Baccharis, Horkelia, Scrophularia Description The genus Phymatopus is considered monotypic and species can be distinguished by forewing pattern and male genitalia. Phymatopus lack spurs on the tibiae and like other members of the Hepialidae, also lack a proboscis or frenulum and have very short antennae. Gold swift The gold swift (Phymatopus hectus), originally belonging to the genus Hepialus, is widely distributed across Europe (central and northern) and the Ural Mountains, follows the distribution of its food plant - bracken and roots of Erica, Primula, Rumex, Calluna. The male forewings bear two silvery white stripes consisting of individual spots separated by dark veins, which are fringed with thin black lines. The dorsal process of valvella (part of male genitalia) is almost straight, and the mesosome tip is rounded. Phymatopus hecta japonicus Phymatopus hecta japonicus is found located in the Russian Far East: Sakhalin island and southern Kurils; south of the Daisetsu mountains, Hokkaido, Japan. Its appearance is similar to P. hectus but differs in that the outer strip is usually uninterrupted. It consists of four or five silvery spots at the apex (anterior corner), two or three small spots moving slightly more inward and the largest one at the inner margin. The morphology of the male genitalia is also different from that of P. hectus, the ventral process of valvella is belt like, which tapers to a point as it reaches the distal