Chrysoteuchia topiarius
Encyclopedia
The Topiary Grass-veneer Moth, Subterranean Sod Webworm or Cranberry Girdler (Chrysoteuchia topiarius) is a moth
of the Crambidae
family. It is found in most of North America
.
The wingspan
is 17–20 mm. The forewings vary from dark clay coloured to light yellowish brown. The hindwings are grey. Adults are on wing from late June to early August in one generation per year.
The larvae feed on a wide range of plant, including mostly grasses. The young larvae feed on soft tissue such as the crowns, leaves and roots of their host plant. Mature larvae feed on the bark of cranberry and conifer seedling roots and crowns. They have also been recorded on blueberry.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Crambidae
Crambidae
The Crambidae are the grass moth family of Lepidoptera . They are quite variable in appearance, the nominal subfamily Crambinae taking up closely folded postures on grass-stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies include brightly coloured and patterned insects which rest in...
family. It is found in most of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 17–20 mm. The forewings vary from dark clay coloured to light yellowish brown. The hindwings are grey. Adults are on wing from late June to early August in one generation per year.
The larvae feed on a wide range of plant, including mostly grasses. The young larvae feed on soft tissue such as the crowns, leaves and roots of their host plant. Mature larvae feed on the bark of cranberry and conifer seedling roots and crowns. They have also been recorded on blueberry.