About Crambus pratella Linnaeus, 1758
Crambus pratella is a species of moth belonging to the family Crambidae. It is found in Europe and Asia Minor. This moth has a wingspan of 22–25 mm. Its forewings have a somewhat elongated apex, and are brown, sometimes mixed with ochre. Males have grey interneural streaks, while females have whitish interneural streaks, all edged blackish. There is a subcostal white streak on the basal half of the forewing, plus a white median streak with a straight upper edge and a lower edge that projects in the middle; this white median streak is cut by a sharply angulated dark brown median line. The second line on the forewing is angulated, white, edged with dark brown, and preceded by a white costal mark. A white terminal streak marked with several black dots runs along the end of the forewing, and the forewing cilia are metallic. Hindwings are a rather dark grey; this description partly applies to Crambus pascuella, which is smaller and has a narrower longitudinal streak than Crambus pratella. The larva of Crambus pratella is greenish-grey or brownish-grey, with darker dots, and a brown head marked with darker coloring. Additional information can be found in Parsons et al. The adult moth flies from May to August, with the timing varying depending on location. The larvae feed on a variety of grasses, especially species in the genus Deschampsia.
