''Chrysoteuchia topiarius'', the topiary grass-veneer moth, subterranean sod webworm or cranberry girdler, is a

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

of the family

Crambidae Crambidae comprises the grass moth family of lepidopterans. They are variable in appearance, with the nominal subfamily Crambinae (grass moths) taking up closely folded postures on grass stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies ...

. The species was first described by

Philipp Christoph Zeller Philipp Christoph Zeller (8 April 1808 – 27 March 1883) was a German entomologist. Zeller was born at Steinheim an der Murr, Württemberg, two miles from Marbach, the birthplace of Schiller. The family moved to Frankfurt (Oder) where Ph ...

in 1866. It is found in most of North America. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...

is 17–20 mm. Adults are on wing from late June to early August in one generation per year. The larvae feed on a wide range of plant, including mostly grasses.

Gallery

Image:Chrysoteuchia topiaria damage.jpg, Damage Image:Chrysoteuchia topiaria damage1.jpg, Damage Image:Chrysoteuchia_topiaria_trap.jpg, Trap

References

Moths described in 1866 Crambini Moths of North America {{Crambini-stub