Bug FAQLittle grey
Eudonia lacustrata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Also called: Whitethorn Grey
The little grey moth has a wingspan of about 16 to 18 mm. Its forewings are whitish with black speckles, a black X-shaped mark and a mix of grey and black near the edge; hindwings are whitish-grey and get darker toward the tip. It lives across Europe, north-west Africa and parts of Asia from Turkey to Siberia and western China, with a subspecies in Iran and Armenia.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Forewings are whitish, sometimes with a light ochre tint, speckled with black, have a black-marked base, whitish lines edged in black, small black orbicular and claviform spots, a black X-shaped discal mark, and a grey-black mixed terminal area with a white interrupted subterminal line; hindwings are whitish-grey, darker at the edge.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 16 to 18 mm (about 0.63 to 0.71 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May through August, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period extends from May to August, varying with region.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
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/Eudonia_lacustrata
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.