It was described by Maria Sibylla Merian in her 1705 publication Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, and  Pieter Cramer provided the formal description of the species in 1776. The most commonly accepted English name is the white witch. Other common names include the ghost moth, great gray witch and great owlet moth.
The species was first documented by Maria Sibylla Merian in her book Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium in 1705, and Pieter Cramer provided a detailed description of it in 1776. The white witch is the most commonly used name for this creature, although it is also referred to as ghost moth, great gray witch, or great owlet moth.