Bug FAQTopiary Grass-veneer
Chrysoteuchia topiarius · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Also called: Cranberry Girdler, Topiary Grass-veneer Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The topiary grass-veneer moth has a wingspan of about 17 to 20 mm. It lives across most of North America and adults fly from late June to early August, producing one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Chrysoteuchia topiarius is a moth in the family Crambidae, also called the subterranean sod webworm or cranberry girdler.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 17 to 20 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found throughout most of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat many plants, mainly grasses.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from late June to early August and have one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults appear from late June through early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers most of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Massachusetts, Oregon, Wisconsin, Colorado, Vermont, Illinois, Montana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Can they damage my garden?
Yes, the larvae can damage grasses and cranberry vines, creating dead patches in the plants.
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/Chrysoteuchia_topiarius
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.