''Crambus agitatellus'', the double-banded grass-veneer moth, is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of ...

of the family

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

. The species was first described by

James Brackenridge Clemens James Brackenridge Clemens (31 January 1825, in Wheeling, West Virginia – 11 January 1867, in Easton, Pennsylvania) was an American entomologist who specialized in Lepidoptera. He described many new species. His collection of microlepidoptera i ...

in 1860. Adults are on wing from June to August.

Description

Adult double-banded grass-veneers have a

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

of 17–22 mm. They rest with their forewings rolled tightly over their hindwings, giving them a long and slender appearance at rest. The forewings have a broad white stripe which is tapered at both ends. In some individuals, this marking may be bisected by a faint yellow stripe. 4 or 5 black lines extend from end of this white stripe and eventually meet a yellow-orange horizontal line near the end of the wing. The hindwings are pale gray or brown and lack markings.

Range and Habitat

''C. agitatellus'' is found in the eastern two-thirds of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

and south-eastern

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. The species is most commonly found in open grassy areas such as fields and lawns.

Ecology

The larvae feed on various grasses and other low-growing plants.

References

External links

Bug GuideImages
Crambini Moths described in 1860 Moths of North America {{Crambini-stub