Species Crambus praefectellus - Common Grass-veneer - Hodges#5355

5355

Silver-striped Webworm

Crambus praefectellus (Zincken, 1821)

Chilo praefectellus Zincken, 1821

Crambus involutellus Clemens, 1860

Crambus oslarellus Haimbach, 1908

* phylogenetic sequence #159625

Praefectus is Latin for "in charge, commander."

Common to uncommon; usually occurs in small numbers.

Wingspan 18-25 mm.

Adult - forewing brownish-orange with long white or silvery stripe, tapered at both ends; width of stripe at base less than or equal to distance from stripe to costa; several thin black lines run from white stripe to ST line, which is single and inconspicuous; subterminal area with several short whitish streaks, each terminating in a black dot; oblique dark streak at apex, surrounded by whitish wedges; fringe white or pale yellowish; hindwing pale brownish-gray to whitish with white fringe.

United States and southern Canada east of the Rockies.

Fields, weedy areas, waste places; adults rest in grass or weeds during day, becoming active at dusk, and are attracted to light.

May to September in the north; April to October in mid-latitudes; probably all year in southern Florida and Texas.

Larvae feed on grasses and cereal grains.

One to several generations per year; eggs are laid while flying low over ground; larvae feed nocturnally for 3-4 weeks; life cycle lasts 5-8 weeks.

Leach's Grass-veneer (C. leachellus) width of forewing stripe at base greater than distance between stripe and costa

Eastern Grass-veneer (C. laqueatellus) forewing has double stripe (i.e. white area divided by brown strip)

Double-banded Grass-veneer (C. agitatellus) forewing has double ST line, and several double black streaks running from white stripe to ST line

Crambus ainsliellus width of forewing stripe at base greater than distance between stripe and costa

Moth Photographers Group - species page

live and pinned adult images (Larry Line, Maryland)

pinned adult image (David Smith, Furman U., South Carolina)

presence in Florida; list (John Heppner, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)