Bug FAQElbow-striped Grass-veneer
Agriphila geniculea · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Also called: Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer
The Elbow-striped Grass-veneer moth has a wingspan of about 20 to 26 mm and usually shows two strongly curved cross-lines on its forewings, sometimes accompanied by chevron marks. Adults fly at dusk from July to October, have one generation per year, and the larvae overwinter from late September to early May.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings usually display two strongly curved cross-lines, though they can sometimes be faint or missing. In this species the forewings are also crossed by a pair of chevron patterns, unlike the longitudinal streaks seen in A. inquinatella.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges from 20 to 26 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is typically found in dry pastures, grassy areas, sand-dunes, gardens and other grassland habitats.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed inside the stems of sheep’s fescue (Festuca ovina) and various other grasses.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species produces one generation each year. Larvae are present from late September through early May, overwintering in the larval stage.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be separated from A. tolli by the greater distance between its cross-lines.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult Elbow-striped Grass-veneer moths active?
They fly at dusk from July through October, depending on where you are.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae of this moth eat?
The larvae feed inside the stems of sheep’s fescue and other grass species.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell this moth apart from similar species?
Look for the larger spacing between the curved cross-lines on the forewings; this distinguishes it from Agriphila tolli.
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/Agriphila_geniculea
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.