Crambus pascuellus

• Subfamily: Crambinae
• Wingspan: 20-26 mm
• Flight period: May - Sep
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Poaceae

Information

The Crambus pascuellus is a moth of the Crambidae family, subfamily Crambinae, with a wingspan of 20-26 mm.
In Europe it is visible practically everywhere except in Ukraine. In Italy it is present in Sardinia but not in Sicily. *
The species has also been reported in North America. **

Moth that has anterior wings with a particular design with a wide white band, parallel to the costa, which goes from the basal region to the middle of the postdiscal region, where it narrows to the tip of a spear without any smudging, or just hinted at, a characteristic that allows it to be distinguished from the congener Crambus uliginosellus .

This band covers half of the wing longitudinally, the other part of the wing is ocher, hazel / golden with a white inner margin.
The costa has a very fine hazelnut-colored band, a band that is thicker in similar species. A narrow curved line of hazelnut color crosses the wing in the submarginal region.
Near the apex a second line, parallel to the first, starts from the costa to intersect the margin in the median area. The margin is crossed by a brown line and a series of 4 or 5 points of the same color, in the median and cubital area. The wing fringes, normally white in these areas a brown / golden color.
The hind wings are translucent white, with brown shades in the radial and median area, also fringed.
The palps are white above, hazel on the sides.

This moth flies from May to September depending on the latitude. It can be found in wallpapers and gardens, and most of the grassy areas, easily visible during the day if disturbed, even if the moment of flight is from dusk onwards.
The larva feeds on the roots of various herbs, living inside a tube or cocoon made from silk. ***

The larvae feed on Poaceae, such as Festuca ovina and Poa sp.


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Butterflies and Moths of North America - https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/
*** Nature Spot Recording the Wildlife of Leicestershire & Rutland - https://www.naturespot.org.uk/