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Has two ‘chevrons’ continuously marked near the outside of each wing, but the wing is also covered with a pattern of dark brown veins

Two ‘chevrons’ continuously marked near the outside of each wing, on an otherwise clear area of wing.

Grass moths - Crambinae

Small day-flying moths which inhabit grasslands in summer, but which do come to light.

Flight periods overlap too much to help identification but they do differ in size so it is often helpful to measure wing length

1. Chrysoteuchia culmella, Agriphila tristella and Agriphila straminella

2.   Crambus perlella, Crambus pascuella and Crambus lathoniellus

Chrysoteuchia culmella - wing length about 11mm

Longitudinal stripes - top one longer and brighter.

Middle stripe divides into a ‘hand’ with 4 ‘fingers’

Cross-line near the outer edge of the wing in the shape of a blunt V.

No V-shaped cross-line

Wide middle stripe with a clear edge divides into  4 ‘fingers’

Thick black spotting gives the appearance of shading

Agriphila tristella   -    wing length about 13mm

Agriphila straminella   -    wing length about 9mm

Longitudinal stripes  rather dull with fuzzy edges

A few isolated  black spots.

No V-shaped cross-line but usually a row of spots at the wing edge

Note : Another, less common, species - Agriphila selasella - is very similar to Agriphila tristella but has a reduced face cone and a squarer outer edge to the wing

Crambus perlella wing length about 12 mm

Crambus perlella f warringtonellus

Crambus pascuella Wing length about 12mm

Crambus lathoniellus Wing length about 10mm

Crambus perlella occurs in two common forms. The typical form is white or nearly white with the longitudinal stripes very subdued and unlike any others in this sub-family. The other form - Crambus perlella f warringtonellus- is brown and could be confused with other moths in this group.

No cross-line near the outer edge of the wing

2 diverging longitudinal stripes going the length of the wing

6 shorter stripes near the outer edge between the two long stripes

The same markings as C. perlella f warringtonellus but very faint

Cross-lines near the outer edge of the wing in the shape of a sharp V.

Cross-lines near the outer edge of the wing in the shape of a sharp V.

2 long diverging bright white longitudinal stripes

1 broad bright white longitudinal stripe

Dark cross-line in the shape of a sharp V at two/thirds of the length of the forewing

Note : There are several other species similar to Crambus pascuella but they are not at all common
(See Hantsmoths)

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3.   Agriphila geniculea, Catoptria falsella and Agriphila inquinatella

Agriphila geniculea

Catoptria falsella

Agriphila inquinatella

The chevrons are more rounded than in Agriphila geniculea  and the chevron lines are broken up by the longitudinal veins.