Crambidae
Guides
Choristostigma disputalis
Choristostigma disputalis is a small crambid moth described by Barnes and McDunnough in 1917. It is distributed across western North America from Alberta and British Columbia south to California, Oregon, and Arizona. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 20 mm and are active from April through August. The species is most readily distinguished from its congener Choristostigma elegantalis by its paler forewing ground color and distinctive wing pattern elements.
Choristostigma zephyralis
Choristostigma zephyralis is a small crambid moth described from California in 1914. Adults are distinguished by bright sulphur yellow forewings shading to orange yellow at the termen, with prominent purple markings including a costal stripe extending to the reniform spot. The hindwings are sulphur yellow with dark subbasal, discal, and subterminal lines plus purplish suffusion beyond the subterminal line. The species has a wingspan of approximately 23 mm. Larvae feed on Monardella villosa, a California native mint.
Chrismania
Chrismania is a monotypic moth genus in the family Crambidae, containing a single species, Chrismania pictipennalis. The genus was described in 1914 by William Barnes and James Halliday McDunnough. It is restricted to the southwestern United States, with records from southern California and Arizona. Adults are small moths with distinctive forewing coloration and fly in early spring.
Chrysendeton
Chrysendeton is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Acentropinae. The genus was established by Grote in 1881. Species in this genus are associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats, reflecting the broader ecological pattern of the Acentropinae subfamily. The genus contains multiple described species distributed primarily in North America.
Chrysendeton medicinalis
Bold Medicine Moth
Chrysendeton medicinalis, commonly known as the bold medicine moth, is a small crambid moth species native to eastern North America. It was described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1881. The species is characterized by its distinctive white, ocherous, and brown wing patterning with silvery-white bands. Adults are active nearly year-round in the southern portions of its range.
Chrysendeton nigrescens
Chrysendeton nigrescens is a small moth species in the family Crambidae, first described by Heppner in 1991. It is known exclusively from pitcher plant bogs in the southeastern United States. The species has a narrow geographic range, recorded only from Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Adults are active during two distinct periods: spring (May–June) and late summer (August–September).
Chrysoteuchia
sod webworms, cranberry girdlers
Chrysoteuchia is a genus of Crambidae moths containing approximately 36 species worldwide, with exceptional diversity in China (33 species). The genus exhibits a Palearctic, Sino-Japanese, and Oriental distribution pattern. Species are strongly associated with humid to semi-humid environments and show cold tolerance with humidity-dependent distribution patterns. The cranberry girdler (C. topiarius) is a notable pest of cool-season turfgrasses, cranberries, and fir in North America.
Cliniodes
Cliniodes is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Odontiinae. First described by Achille Guenée in 1854, the genus was long synonymized with Idessa Walker but restored to validity through taxonomic revision. The genus contains approximately 30 described species arranged into multiple subgenera and species groups, with distribution centered in the Neotropical region. Recent taxonomic work has clarified relationships with related genera including Metrea, Basonga, and Sobanga.
Colomychus
Colomychus is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus was established by Munroe in 1956 and contains two recognized species. It is endemic to the Southeastern United States.
Compacta capitalis
Ornate Compacta Moth
Compacta capitalis is a species of crambid moth described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1881. It occurs across the eastern and central United States, with records spanning from Maryland south to Florida and westward to Texas, with possible occurrence in Colorado and north to Illinois. Adults are active during the warmer months, with flight records from May through August. The species is characterized by distinctive dark apical blotches on both forewings and hindwings.
Compacta hirtalis
A small crambid moth with a wingspan of approximately 21 mm, ranging from the southern United States through Central America to South America. Adults are active during summer months in the northern part of its range. First described by Guenée in 1854 from the original basionym Botys hirtalis.
Conchylodes
Zebra conchylodes moth (for C. ovulalis)
Conchylodes is a genus of snout moths in the family Crambidae, comprising 21 recognized species. The genus was established by Guenée in 1854 and is placed in the tribe Udeini. The monotypic genus Nonazochis, described by Amsel in 1956, was synonymized with Conchylodes, with its type species Azochis graphialis transferred to Conchylodes as Conchylodes graphialis. The genus includes the zebra conchylodes moth (Conchylodes ovulalis), noted for its distinctive black-and-white striped pattern.
Conchylodes salamisalis
Blush Conchylodes Moth
Conchylodes salamisalis, commonly known as the Blush Conchylodes Moth, is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It was first described by Herbert Druce in 1895. The species is distributed across Central America and the southern United States, with confirmed records from Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, and Texas. The moth exhibits distinctive wing patterning with silky hyaline white forewings and hindwings marked with dark brown streaks, bands, and spots.
Condylorrhiza vestigialis
Alamo Moth, Brazilian Poplar Moth
A crambid moth native to the Americas, known as the Alamo Moth or Brazilian Poplar Moth. Larvae are specialized feeders on Populus species, making this species a significant pest of poplar and cottonwood plantations in Brazil. Adults exhibit well-documented calling behavior, with virgin females releasing sex pheromones during specific nighttime hours to attract males. The species has been extensively studied for biological control applications, particularly for baculovirus production.
Contiger
Contiger is a monotypic genus of crambid moths established by Lange in 1956. The genus contains a single species, Contiger vittatalis, known from Florida in the southeastern United States. Adults are small with a wingspan of approximately 15 mm and exhibit distinct seasonal activity patterns throughout the year.
Cornifrons
Cornifrons is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Evergestinae. The genus was established by Lederer in 1858. Four species are currently recognized: Cornifrons actualis, C. albidiscalis, C. phasma, and the type species C. ulceratalis. The genus belongs to the snout moth family Crambidae, a large group of lepidopterans characterized by their elongated labial palps.
Cornifrons actualis
Cornifrons actualis is a small crambid moth described in 1918 from western North America. Adults are active in late winter through spring and again in late summer. The species is restricted to desert habitats across the southwestern United States and adjacent regions.
Cornifrons phasma
Cornifrons phasma is a moth species in the family Crambidae, described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1917. It is known from a restricted range in western North America, specifically California and Nevada. Adults are active in spring and early summer, with a secondary flight period in September.
Cosipara modulalis
Cosipara modulalis is a small crambid moth described by Eugene G. Munroe in 1972. It is known from a limited distribution in the southwestern United States, specifically Arizona and Colorado. The species has a wingspan of approximately 20 mm and appears to be active during mid-summer.
Crambinae
Grass-veneers and Allies, snout moth grass borers, sod webworms
Crambinae is a large subfamily of Crambidae moths comprising over 1,800 species worldwide. Members are commonly known as snout moths, grass-veneers, or sod webworms. The subfamily is characterized by specialized morphological features including tympanal organs and a phallus attached medially to the juxta. Larvae are primarily root feeders or stem borers on grasses, with several species recognized as significant agricultural pests of maize, sugarcane, rice, and turfgrasses.
Crambus angulatus
Crambus angulatus is a moth species in the family Crambidae described by William Barnes and James Halliday McDunnough in 1918. It is known from North America, with records from California. Like other members of the genus Crambus, it likely belongs to the group commonly known as grass-veneer moths, though specific details about its biology remain poorly documented.
Crambus bidens
forked grass-veneer
Crambus bidens, commonly known as the forked grass-veneer, is a small moth in the family Crambidae. It was first described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1872. The species is distributed across northeastern and north-central North America, with records from Massachusetts, New York, Ontario, New Jersey, Quebec, Michigan, Vermont, and Alberta. Its primary habitat is bogs.
Crambus daeckellus
Daecke's pyralid moth, Daecke's Silverstreak
Crambus daeckellus is a small moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Frank Haimbach in 1907. It is considered endemic to the New Jersey Pine Barrens, a restricted range that makes it of conservation interest. The species inhabits pine-dominated ecosystems and is one of several Crambus species specialized to this unique habitat.
Crambus leuconotus
Crambus leuconotus is a species of crambid moth described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1881. It belongs to the grass-veneer moth genus Crambus, a group characterized by slender bodies and distinctive labial palps that project forward like a snout. The species is known only from Colombia, with minimal observational records available. Like other members of Crambinae, it likely inhabits grassland or meadow environments, though specific ecological details remain undocumented.
Crambus rickseckerellus
A small grass moth in the family Crambidae, described by Alexander Barrett Klots in 1940. The species is endemic to California and was named in honor of entomologist Lucius Edgar Ricksecker. It belongs to a large genus of grass-veneer moths, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Crambus tutillus
sod webworm
Crambus tutillus is a sod webworm moth in the family Crambidae, described by McDunnough in 1921. It is univoltine with a life cycle tightly regulated by photoperiod and temperature. Larvae develop through nine instars, overwintering as diapausing eighth instars, with adults emerging in mid-May and reproducing through June and July. The species exhibits an unusual adaptive response where early instar growth rates increase as daylength decreases, synchronizing development with seasonal food availability.
Crambus youngellus
Young's Grass-veneer
Crambus youngellus, known as Young's Grass-veneer, is a small moth species in the family Crambidae. It was described by William D. Kearfott in 1908. The species is restricted to northeastern North America, with records from the northeastern United States and southern Ontario. As a member of the grass-veneer group, it likely shares ecological associations with grasses and sedges typical of the genus Crambus, though specific natural history details remain poorly documented.
Cremnops ashmeadi
Pegasus wasp
Cremnops ashmeadi is a species of braconid wasp in the subfamily Agathidinae, first described by Morrison in 1917. Like other members of the genus Cremnops, it is characterized by an elongated, equine-like head that superficially resembles the mythological winged horse Pegasus, leading to the common name 'Pegasus wasps' for this genus. Species of Cremnops are parasitoids of caterpillars, specifically targeting larvae in the families Pyralidae and Crambidae. The genus occurs in terrestrial habitats worldwide, with C. ashmeadi known from North America.
Cydalima
Cydalima is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus contains approximately nine described species, with Cydalima perspectalis (box tree moth) being the most economically and ecologically significant due to its invasive status in Europe and North America. Most species in the genus are native to Asia, with limited documented information available for the majority of species beyond taxonomic descriptions.
Cydalima perspectalis
box tree moth, box tree caterpillar
Cydalima perspectalis, commonly known as the box tree moth, is a highly invasive pest moth native to East Asia. First described in 1859, it has spread rapidly across Europe since 2006 and was detected in North America in 2018. The species is a specialist herbivore of boxwood (Buxus spp.), with larvae capable of causing severe defoliation and plant mortality. Multiple generations per year and efficient dispersal via horticultural trade have facilitated its global expansion.
Cymbopteryx
Cymbopteryx is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Odontiinae. It was established by Munroe in 1961 and contains five described species distributed in North America. The genus is characterized by distinctive wing patterns with diffuse or linear markings.
Cymbopteryx fuscimarginalis
Cymbopteryx fuscimarginalis is a species of moth in the family Crambidae, described by Eugene G. Munroe in 1961. It belongs to the subfamily Odontiinae. The species is known from a single observation in Arizona, indicating it is likely rare or poorly collected.
Daulia
Daulia is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus was established by Francis Walker in 1859. Species in this genus are distributed primarily in tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, including parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia. The genus comprises relatively small to medium-sized moths with characteristic wing patterns typical of the Spilomelinae.
Daulia arizonensis
Daulia arizonensis is a small moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Eugene G. Munroe in 1957. The species has a wingspan of approximately 18 mm. It exhibits a disjunct distribution pattern, occurring in the southwestern United States (Arizona and Texas) and extending southward through Mexico to Argentina.
Daulia magdalena
Glittering Magdalena Moth
Daulia magdalena, the glittering Magdalena moth, is a species of pyraloid moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Charles H. Fernald in 1892. The species is known from the southeastern United States, specifically Alabama and Florida.
Desmia
Desmia is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, erected by John O. Westwood in 1832. The genus contains small to medium-sized moths, most commonly brown with variable white spotting on the wings, though some species exhibit orange or blue-green coloration. The majority of species are distributed in South and Central America, with additional species present in Africa, Asia, and North America. Several species are of agricultural significance, particularly Desmia funeralis, the grape leaffolder, which is a documented pest of grapevines in the United States and Mexico.
Desmia desmialis
Desmia desmialis is a small crambid moth described from Arizona in 1914. The species is recognized by its distinctive wing pattern featuring multiple white patches on brown forewings and semiparallel dark lines on the hindwings. It belongs to a genus containing several similar North American species, including the grape leaffolder Desmia funeralis.
Desmia funeralis
grape leaffolder, grape leaf-folder
Desmia funeralis, commonly known as the grape leaffolder, is a moth in the family Crambidae. It is a minor pest of grape vineyards across the United States, with larvae that feed on grape leaves, causing characteristic leaf folding or rolling damage. The species is widely distributed from the southern United States through California, extending north to the northeastern states and southeastern Canada. Severe outbreaks have occurred in localized areas, particularly when natural parasitoid populations fail to control moth numbers.
Desmia maculalis
Grape Leafroller Moth
Desmia maculalis is a species of moth in the family Crambidae, currently treated as a synonym of Desmia funeralis (the Grape Leaffolder Moth). The species was described by Westwood in 1832. It belongs to a genus of small moths whose larvae are known to feed on grape and related plants, rolling or folding leaves for shelter. The taxonomic status of Desmia maculalis as a distinct species versus a synonym remains subject to revision.
Desmia ploralis
mournful desmia moth
Desmia ploralis, commonly known as the mournful desmia moth, is a species of snout moth in the family Crambidae. It was first described by French entomologist Achille Guenée in 1854. The species is distributed across tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, including parts of Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and the southern United States. Like other members of the genus Desmia, it is likely associated with host plants in the grape family (Vitaceae), though specific host records for this species are limited.
Desmia tages
Desmia tages is a moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Pieter Cramer in 1777. It occurs in the Caribbean and southeastern United States, with records from Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Florida, Costa Rica, and Mexico. The species belongs to the subfamily Spilomelinae, a diverse group of snout moths. No specific ecological or biological details have been documented for this species beyond its geographic distribution.
Diacme
Diacme is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus was established by Warren in 1892 and contains approximately 10 described species. Species within this genus are distributed in North America and parts of the Neotropics. The genus includes species such as Diacme adipaloides, D. elealis, and D. mopsalis.
Diacme phyllisalis
Rusty Diacme
Diacme phyllisalis is a small crambid moth first described by Francis Walker in 1859. It occurs across the Caribbean and into the southeastern United States, with records from Jamaica, Cuba, Mexico, Florida, and Georgia. The species is known in English as the Rusty Diacme, though detailed biological information remains limited.
Diaphania costata
Orange-shouldered Sherbet Moth, White Palpita Moth
Diaphania costata is a small moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794. It is notable for its translucent white wings with a distinctive gold line along the leading edge of the forewing. The species has an exceptionally wide distribution, occurring naturally across the Indomalayan realm and Europe, with introduced populations established in Mexico and Texas. Adults are active and can be found year-round in suitable climates, with wingspans under 20 mm.
Diaphania modialis
Cucumberworm Moth
Diaphania modialis is a crambid moth commonly known as the Cucumberworm Moth. It belongs to a genus whose larvae are significant agricultural pests, particularly of cucurbit crops. The species was described by Dyar in 1912 and occurs in the Americas.
Diasemiodes
Diasemiodes is a genus of small moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus was established by Munroe in 1957 and contains at least four described species distributed in the Americas. These moths are part of the diverse grass moth group, though specific ecological details remain limited in the literature.
Diasemiodes janassialis
Pied Shawl Moth
Diasemiodes janassialis is a small moth in the family Crambidae, commonly known as the Pied Shawl Moth. First described by Francis Walker in 1859, it occurs across the southeastern and south-central United States. The species belongs to the subfamily Spilomelinae, a diverse group of grass moths.
Diastictis
Diastictis is a genus of crambid moths in the subfamily Spilomelinae, established by Hübner in 1827. The genus comprises approximately ten recognized species, most described by Munroe in 1956. Species occur primarily in North America, with records from the United States including Vermont. The genus has been subject to taxonomic revision, with two former species transferred to other genera.
Diastictis baccatalis
Media Moth
Diastictis baccatalis, commonly known as the Media Moth, is a species of pyraloid moth in the family Crambidae. It is a moderately sized moth with distinctive wing patterns that facilitate identification. The species has been documented across much of North America and is frequently observed by citizen scientists, with over 2,300 records on iNaturalist. Its larvae are associated with plants in the genus Baccharis.
Diastictis caecalis
Diastictis caecalis is a species of crambid moth described by William Warren in 1892. It belongs to the subfamily Spilomelinae within the family Crambidae. The species is known from California in western North America. Very little detailed biological information has been published for this species.