Bug FAQBold-feathered Grass Moth
Herpetogramma pertextalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
All four wings are a whitish-tan iridescent color with jagged lines and a dark brown line along the lowest edge. The species is native to North America.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The moth’s four wings are a pale tan with an iridescent sheen, marked by a series of jagged lines. A dark brown line runs along the lowermost margin of each wing.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males measure 21.5 to 23 mm across the wings, while females are slightly larger at 23 to 24 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 39 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Oregon, New York, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the larvae of the bold-feathered grass moth eat?
The larvae feed on the leaves of the plant Clethra alnifolia.
Source: Wikipedia
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/Herpetogramma_pertextalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.