Bug FAQCommon grass moth
Orocrambus flexuosellus · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
The common grass moth has a wingspan of about 19 to 26 mm and flies from November to February, mostly at night but can be disturbed during the day. It lives in lowland to alpine grasslands across New Zealand, where its larvae eat many grasses and sedges and adults help pollinate several native plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are active from November through February and are nocturnal, though they can be disturbed in daylight.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 19 to 26 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits grasslands from lowland areas up to alpine zones.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on a variety of grasses and sedges.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from November to February.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period for adults spans the Southern Hemisphere summer months, November to February.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
This species is endemic to New Zealand.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It belongs to the moth family Crambidae.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I expect to see adult common grass moths?
Adults are typically seen from November through February.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae of this moth eat?
The caterpillars feed on many different grasses and sedges.
Source: Wikipedia
Do these moths help pollinate any plants?
Yes, adults have been recorded pollinating several native species such as Cassinia fulvida and Hoheria lyallii.
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/Orocrambus_flexuosellus
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.