Crambus pascuella (Linnaeus, 1758)

We've been having a photo-tour of Lusaka lately, so here's one from the UK to keep things from getting biased:

This lovely little grass-moth is called

Crambus pascuella 

(Linnaeus, 1758)

It's one of quite a few very similar species, so I would advise you to take this identification with caution.

Anyhow, on with the show:

 -Crambini
 -Crambinae  
- Crambidae     

See also Zebronia phenice

- Pyraloidea        

- Tineina                

- Tineina                   

- Ditrysia                     

See also Laelia robusta, Anthocharis cardamines and Acada biseriata

- Heteroneura                 

- Neolepidoptera               

- Glossata                             

- Lepidoptera                          

- Amphiesmenoptera                 

- Panorpida                                   

See also Panorpa germanica, Megistocera filipes, Senaspis haemorrhoa, Episyrphus balteatus, Helophilus pendulus, Diasemopsis meigenii and Dolichotachina caudata

- Endopterygota                               

See also Hagenomyia tristis, Vespula germanica, Synagris proserpina, Astata tropicalis, Melolontha melolontha, Otiorhynchus atroapterus, Malachius bipustulatus, Demetrias atricapillus and Anthia fornasiini.

- Eumetabola                                       

See also Pephricus, Anoplocnemis curvipes and Ranatra

- Neoptera                                              

See also  Sibylla, Stictogryllacris punctata, Lobosceliana loboscelis and Cyathosternum prehensile

- Manopterygota                                        

See also Rhyothemis semihyalina, Pseudagrion hageni and Enallagma cyathigerum

- Pterygota                                                    

- Dicondylia                                                     

- Insecta                                                               

- Hexapoda                                                             

- Arthropoda                                                              

See also Ligia oceanica, Dicranopalpus ramosus, Enoplognatha ovata, Argiope bruennichi and Hyllus argyrotoxus.

- Ecdysozoa                                                                  

- Protostomia                                                                   

- Nephrozoa                                                                        

See also Chiromantis xerampelina, Thelotornis capensis, Trachylepis varia, Lygodactylus capensis, Ardea goliath, Chalcophaps indica, Sterna hirundo, Synchiropus splendidus and Hipposideros vittatus.

- Bilateralia                                                                             

- Eumetazoa                                                                               

- Animalia                                                                                       

- Eukaryota                                                                                         

To give an explanation of the common name of 'Grass moth', applied to numerous related species: most Crambus and their relatives are usually seen in grassland, they sleep head down on grass, and as caterpillars they feed primarily on... yes, grassland. They can be quite lovely to behold in uncultured meadows, where a walk through the grass will send clouds of quite literally hundreds of these beautiful little moths spinning into the air and settling a few feet further on.


And that's all, folks!






An excellent (f)re(e)source for identifying British moths is UKMoths, with almost complete coverage of resident species, both native and introduced, and fair coverage of occasional migrants as well.