About Microcrambus elegans Clemens, 1860
Microcrambus elegans, commonly called M. elegans, has silvery-white wings with brown shading in certain regions. When at rest, adult M. elegans hold their wings tightly folded to form a tube-like shape. Viewed from above, the species displays a pattern resembling a Halloween mask, marked by two triangular eye shapes and a frowning, down-curved mouth shape. A distinct identifying characteristic is the seven black dots located along the lowest edge of the forewings. The wingspan of M. elegans ranges from 12 to 15 mm. Its antennae are slender and threadlike. The sensory tympanal organs connected to the mouth are long and covered in hair, creating a snout-like appearance that is typical of the Crambinae subfamily. M. elegans ranges from Ontario, Quebec and Maine in the east, south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Kansas and Illinois. It is most frequently found in grassy habitats. The larvae of M. elegans feed on grasses belonging to the plant family Poaceae.
