Crambus hamella

Crambus hamella is a species of moth in the family Crambidae described by Carl Peter Thunberg in 1788.^[1] It is found in most of Europe (except the Iberian Peninsula and most of the Balkan Peninsula),^[2] east to the Russian Far East (Amur, Sakhalin) and Japan.^[3] It is also found in North America, including Alberta, Arizona, Manitoba, Michigan, Oklahoma and Ontario.^[4]

Crambus hamella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Crambidae
Genus:	Crambus
Species:	C. hamella
Binomial name
Crambus hamella (Thunberg, 1788)
Synonyms
Tinea hamella Thunberg, 1788 Crambus hamellus Palparia baccaestria Haworth, 1811 Tinea ensigerella Hübner, 1813 Argyroteuchia ensigeralis Hübner, 1816

The wingspan is 18–23 mm.^[5] The forewings with apex slightly produced; brown, posteriorly whitish-sprinkled, terminally suffused with white; a broad snow - white pointed median longitudinal streak from base, not reaching second line, lower edge with a projection in middle; second line angulated, silvery - white, anteriorly dark-edged; a triangular white subapical spot; several terminal longitudinal black marks; cilia metallic. Hindwings are grey.^[6] See also Parsons et al.^[7]

Adults are on wing from July to August in generation per year.^[8]

The larvae feed on grasses, possibly including Deschampsia flexuosa.

Subspecies

• Crambus hamella hamella (Eurasia)
• Crambus hamella carpenterellus Packard, 1874 (North America)