Bug FAQBarred Grass-veneer
Agriphila inquinatella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
The moth has a wingspan of about 23 to 29 mm and cream-to-straw brown forewings with scattered black scales and a distinctive dark spot on the discal cell. It lives across Europe, the Caucasus, Turkestan and the Near East, where its caterpillars feed on grasses such as meadow-grass and sheep’s fescue, sometimes building silken galleries near the roots.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 23 to 29 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found throughout Europe, the Caucasus to Turkestan, and the Near East up to Jordan. Caterpillars live in silken galleries on grass roots and can be found under nearby pebbles.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They have also been recorded feeding on the moss Tortula muralis.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Three subspecies are recognized, with detailed descriptions of wing colour, pattern and larval appearance.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range matches its current distribution across Europe, the Caucasus, Turkestan and the Near East, with the type specimen recorded from Austria.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It resembles Agriphila geniculea and Agriphila tolli; A. geniculea has more sharply angled lines and glossy or metallic cilia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Elegant Grass-veneerMicrocrambus elegans
Hawaiian Beet Webworm MothSpoladea recurvalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden Grass-veneerChrysoteuchia culmellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bluegrass Webworm MothParapediasia teterrellusDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriphila_inquinatella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.