Crambus pratella

Crambus pratella is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. It is found in Europe and Asia Minor.

Fig. 3 larva after final moult

Crambus pratella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Crambidae
Genus:	Crambus
Species:	C. pratella
Binomial name
Crambus pratella (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Phalaena (Tinea) pratella Linnaeus, 1758 Argyroteuchia saltalis Hübner, 1825 Crambus scoticus Westwood in Humphreys & Westwood, 1841 Crambus scotius Ganev, 1996 Crambus gelatellus Réal, 1988 Crambus pratellus ab. egregiellus Rebel, 1915 Crambus pratellus ab. obscurellus Mann, 1871 Crambus pratellus var. marpurgensis Strand, 1920 Argyroteuchia pratalis Hübner, 1825 Palparia pratea Haworth, 1811 Crambus pratorum Fabricius, 1798 Tinea dumetella Hübner, 1813 Crambus dumetellus ab. depunctellus Strand, 1902 Crambus dumetellus var. boreellus Caradja, 1910 Crambus dumetellus var. plumbatellus Osthelder, 1939

The wingspan is 22–25 mm. Forewings with apex somewhat produced; brown, sometimes ochreous-mixed, in male with grey, in female with whitish blackish-edged interneural streaks; a subcostal white streak on basal half; a white median streak, upper edge straight, lower edge projecting in middle, cut by sharply angulated dark brown median line; second line angulated, white, edged with dark brown, preceded by white costal mark; a white terminal streak, with several black dots; cilia metallic. Hindwings are rather dark grey [applies partly to Crambus pascuella but this is smaller and has a narrower longitudinal streak]. The larva is greenish-grey or brownish-grey; dots darker; head brown, darker-marked.^[1] See also Parsons et al.^[2]

The moth flies from May to August depending on the location.

The larvae feed on various grasses, especially Deschampsia species.