Bug FAQDark Grass-veneer
Crambus hamella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Also called: Dark Grass-veneer Moth
The dark grass-veneer moth has a wingspan of about 18 to 23 mm and distinctive white streaks and spots on its brown forewings. It lives across most of Europe, extends east to the Russian Far East and Japan, and is also found in several parts of North America such as Alberta, Arizona, Manitoba, Michigan, Oklahoma and Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are brown with a whitish sprinkling toward the rear, a broad snow-white median streak from the base, a silvery-white angled second line, a triangular white spot near the tip, and several black marks along the edge; the hindwings are grey.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges from 18 to 23 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits most of Europe (excluding the Iberian Peninsula and much of the Balkans), the Russian Far East, Japan, and parts of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on grasses, possibly including the species Deschampsia flexuosa.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from July to August, producing a single generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period for adults is limited to July and August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
In North America it occurs in provinces and states such as Alberta, Arizona, Manitoba, Michigan, Oklahoma and Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maine, Colorado, Alaska, Wyoming, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, California.
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
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalis
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/Crambus_hamella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.