Grass-moth
Guides
Agriphila attenuatus
A grass moth in the family Crambidae, described by Grote in 1880. Found in western North America from coastal California north to British Columbia and Alberta, and east to Wyoming. Associated with grassland habitats. Adults are nocturnal and attracted to light.
Anageshna
Anageshna is a genus of snout moths (family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae) established by Munroe in 1956. The genus belongs to the diverse grass moth group, though specific morphological and biological traits distinguishing it from related genera require specialist examination. Observations indicate presence in North America, particularly the northeastern United States.
Chilonini
Chilonini is a tribe of grass moths within the family Crambidae. Members are generally small to medium-sized moths with narrow wings and slender bodies. The tribe includes several economically significant stem-boring pest species, particularly in the genus Chilo, which attack cereal crops including maize, rice, and sugarcane. Chilonini species are distributed across tropical and temperate regions worldwide, with highest diversity in the Old World tropics.
Crambidae
Crambid Snout Moths, grass moths
Crambidae is a large family of Lepidoptera comprising over 10,000 species in more than 1,000 genera across 15 subfamilies. The family includes economically significant agricultural pests such as the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), sod webworms (Crambus spp.), and the invasive box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis). Historically treated as a subfamily of Pyralidae, Crambidae was elevated to full family status based on the presence of a praecinctorium—a structure joining two tympanic membranes absent in Pyralidae. Members exhibit diverse morphologies: Crambinae (grass moths) are slender with wings folded tightly around the body at rest, while other subfamilies display bright coloration and rest with wings spread.
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 praefectellus
common grass-veneer, silver-striped webworm
A small grass moth in the family Crambidae, widespread across eastern North America. Adults are active from spring through fall, with extended or year-round activity in the southernmost parts of its range. Larvae develop within silken webs on grasses and cereal grains.
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.
Donacaula dispersellus
Wandering Donacaula
Donacaula dispersellus is a moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Robinson in 1870. The species is currently considered a synonym of Donacaula melinellus according to GBIF and the Catalogue of Life. It has been recorded across a broad geographic range in North America, spanning from southern Canada through much of the eastern and central United States. The common name "Wandering Donacaula" reflects its wide distribution.
Donacaula n-sp-nine
Donacaula n-sp-nine is an undescribed species in the grass moth genus Donacaula, family Crambidae. Species in this genus are generally associated with marshy or wetland habitats and their larvae typically feed on monocotyledonous plants, particularly sedges and grasses. The specific epithet "n-sp-nine" indicates this is an informal designation used prior to formal species description.
Donacaula n-sp-two
Donacaula n-sp-two is an undescribed species within the genus Donacaula, a group of grass moths in the family Crambidae. The 'n-sp-two' designation indicates this is a numbered provisional species awaiting formal description. Members of Donacaula are generally associated with wetland and grassland habitats. Specific information for this undescribed entity is limited to collection records and preliminary morphological assessments.
Donacaula undescribed-one
Donacaula undescribed-one is an undescribed species within the genus Donacaula, a group of grass moths in the family Crambidae. Members of this genus are typically associated with wetland and marsh habitats. As an undescribed species, formal documentation and characterization remain pending.
Donacaula unipunctellus
Donacaula unipunctellus is a species of grass moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Robinson in 1870. It is native to eastern and southern North America, with a range extending from Nova Scotia to Florida and west to Texas and Utah. Adults are active nearly year-round in southern portions of the range, with more restricted flight periods in northern areas. The species belongs to the subfamily Schoenobiinae, whose members are typically associated with wetland and marsh habitats.
Eurrhypini
Eurrhypini is a tribe of grass moths within the family Crambidae. Members of this tribe are small to medium-sized moths with narrow wings and slender bodies. They are associated with grassy and wetland habitats, where their larvae feed on monocotyledonous plants. The tribe includes several genera distributed across temperate and tropical regions.
Fernandocrambus harpipterus
Fernandocrambus harpipterus is a moth species in the family Crambidae, first described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1916. It belongs to the subfamily Crambinae, a group commonly known as grass moths. The species is known from Mexico. Like other members of its genus, it likely inhabits grassland or open habitat environments, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Fernandocrambus ruptifascia
Fernandocrambus ruptifascia is a species of grass moth in the family Crambidae, first described by George Hampson in 1919. It is known only from Mexico. The species has not been documented on iNaturalist and appears to be poorly represented in collections. As with other members of the genus Fernandocrambus, it likely inhabits grassland or meadow habitats, though specific ecological details remain undocumented.
Fissicrambus haytiellus
Carpet-grass Webworm Moth
Fissicrambus haytiellus, commonly known as the carpet-grass webworm moth, is a species in the family Crambidae. First described by Zincken in 1821, it is currently treated as a synonym of Fissicrambus fissiradiellus in some taxonomic databases. The species occurs in the Caribbean and southeastern United States.
Fissicrambus minuellus
Fissicrambus minuellus is a species of grass moth in the family Crambidae, described by Francis Walker in 1863. It is distributed across the Caribbean and southeastern United States, with records from Honduras, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Florida. As a member of the subfamily Crambinae, it likely exhibits the slender body form and grass-associated habits characteristic of this group.
Haimbachia diminutalis
Haimbachia diminutalis is a small crambid moth described from North America in 1965. It is known from limited records in Oklahoma and Texas. The species has a wingspan of approximately 16 mm and shows adult activity during spring, summer, and autumn months.
Haimbachia placidellus
Peppered Haimbachia Moth
Haimbachia placidellus, commonly known as the Peppered Haimbachia Moth, is a species of grass moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Frank Haimbach in 1907. The species is distributed across the eastern United States, with records spanning from New York and Massachusetts south to South Carolina and west to Tennessee. The specific epithet and common name reference the speckled or peppered appearance of the adult moth.
Heliocheilus paradoxus
Paradoxical Grass Moth
Heliocheilus paradoxus, commonly known as the paradoxical grass moth, is a species of noctuid moth described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1865. It belongs to the subfamily Heliothinae within the family Noctuidae. The species has been documented across a broad North American range spanning southern Canada to the southern United States.
Hemiplatytes parallela
A small moth in the family Crambidae, described by William D. Kearfott in 1908. It is known from a restricted range in the southwestern United States. The species has been documented in only two states and remains poorly studied, with limited published information on its biology or ecology.
Hoterodes
Hoterodes is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae, established by Guenée in 1854. The genus contains three recognized species distributed in the Neotropical region: Hoterodes ausonia, Hoterodes albiceps, and Hoterodes violescens. Two former species have been reassigned to other genera. The genus is characterized by distinctive wing patterns and is part of the diverse grass moth lineage within Crambidae.
La
La is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, described by Stanisław Błeszynski in 1966. The genus contains four species, all of which have been given punning names. These moths belong to the grass moth family Crambidae, a large group within the order Lepidoptera. The genus is recognized in major taxonomic databases including GBIF and Catalogue of Life.
Lamprosema victoriae
Victorian Lamplighter Moth
Lamprosema victoriae is a moth in the family Crambidae, described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1923. It is commonly known as the Victorian Lamplighter Moth. The species has been recorded in the south-central United States, with confirmed occurrences in Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. As a member of the subfamily Spilomelinae, it belongs to a diverse group of grass moths and related species.
Mesolia baboquivariella
Mesolia baboquivariella is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by William D. Kearfott in 1907 based on specimens from Arizona. The species is known from a small number of records and remains poorly documented in the scientific literature.
Microcrambus croesus
Microcrambus croesus is a species of grass moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Polish lepidopterist Stanisław Błeszyński in 1967. The species occurs in southern North America, with records from Mexico and parts of the south-central United States.
Microcrambus discludellus
Microcrambus discludellus is a small grass moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Heinrich Benno Möschler in 1890. The species has a Caribbean-North American distribution pattern, occurring in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and the southeastern United States. It belongs to the genus Microcrambus, which contains small, often pale-colored crambid moths.
Nascia
Nascia is a genus of grass moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Pyraustinae. The genus was established by John Curtis in 1835 and contains three recognized species distributed across parts of Europe and North America. These are small to medium-sized moths associated with grassland habitats.
Pediasia dorsipunctellus
Pediasia dorsipunctellus is a grass moth in the family Crambidae, described by Kearfott in 1908. It occurs in grassland habitats across western and central North America. The species is one of approximately 20 North American species in the genus Pediasia, a group of small moths associated with grasses and sedges.
Prionapteryx yavapai
Prionapteryx yavapai is a species of moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Kearfott in 1908. It is a member of the subfamily Crambinae, a group commonly known as grass moths. The species is known from a limited geographic range in the southwestern United States.
Schoenobiinae
Schoenobiinae is a subfamily of grass moths (Crambidae) established by Duponchel in 1846. The group comprises approximately 30 genera including Schoenobius, Scirpophaga, Donacaula, and Catagela. Many species are stem borers of monocot plants, with larvae feeding internally in stems of grasses, sedges, and rushes. Some genera contain significant agricultural pests, particularly of rice and other cultivated cereals.
Sclerocona acutellus
Thatch Pearl
Sclerocona acutellus, known as the Thatch Pearl, is the sole species in the genus Sclerocona within the grass moth family Crambidae. Native to the Palearctic region, it has established populations in eastern North America as an introduced species. The species is associated with thatch and grassy habitats. Adults are active during the warmer months and are attracted to light.
Surattha
Surattha is a genus of grass moths in the family Crambidae. The genus was synonymized with Prionapteryx in 1967 but was later reinstated as valid by Bassi and Mey in 2011. The genus includes approximately 16 described species distributed across Africa, Asia, and North America. At least one species, S. indentella, has been documented as associated with buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides).
Tehama bonifatella
Western Lawn Moth
Tehama bonifatella, the western lawn moth, is a small grass moth in the family Crambidae. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus Tehama. The species is associated with grassland habitats and has been recorded across western and northern North America, including Greenland.
Thaumatopsis crenulatella
Thaumatopsis crenulatella is a small moth in the family Crambidae, first described by William D. Kearfott in 1908. The species is known from a limited geographic range in the southwestern United States. It belongs to the subfamily Crambinae, which includes many grass-associated moths. Published records remain sparse, with few documented observations.
Thaumatopsis fernaldella
Thaumatopsis fernaldella is a species of grass moth in the family Crambidae, described by William D. Kearfott in 1905. It is a North American species with a broad distribution across the United States and Canada, primarily associated with prairie habitats. Adults are active from spring through autumn, with a relatively long flight season spanning April to October.
Thopeutis
grass moth
Thopeutis is a genus of grass moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Crambinae, and tribe Haimbachiini. It was established by Hübner in 1818. The genus contains six described species distributed primarily in the Americas. Some historical classifications incorrectly placed it in Pyralidae.
Vaxi nr-auratellus
Vaxi nr-auratellus is a moth in the family Crambidae, the grass moths. The 'nr-' prefix indicates this is a near or provisional identification, suggesting morphological similarity to Vaxi aureatellus but lacking formal taxonomic confirmation. Members of this genus are generally small, nocturnal moths associated with grassy habitats.