Herpetogramma phaeopteralis

Herpetogramma phaeopteralis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Crambidae
Genus:	Herpetogramma
Species:	H. phaeopteralis
Binomial name
Herpetogramma phaeopteralis (Guenée, 1854)
Synonyms
Botys phaeopteralis Guenée, 1854 Acharana descripta Warren, 1892 Botys additalis Walker, 1862 Botys cellatalis Walker, 1866 Botys communalis Snellen, 1875 Botys inhonestalis Walker, 1866 Botys neloalis Walker, 1859 Botys otreusalis Walker, 1859 Botys plebejalis Lederer, 1863 Botys triarialis Walker, 1859 Botys tridentalis Snellen, 1872 Botys vecordalis Guenée, 1854 Botys vestalis Walker, 1859 Botys intricatalis Möschler, 1890 Herpetogramma phacopteralis Herpetogramma phoeopteralis

Herpetogramma phaeopteralis, the dusky herpetogramma or tropical sod webworm, is a moth in the Crambidae family. It was described by Guenée in 1854. It is found in the United States (from South Carolina to Florida, west to Texas), Central America and South America, on the Andamans, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, La Réunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, Saint Helena, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Gambia, Yemen and Zambia.

The wingspan is about 18 mm. The forewings are medium to dark greyish-brown with blackish antemedial and postmedial lines and two dark spots in the median area. The hindwings are similar but slightly paler.

The larvae feed on the leaves of grasses. Full-grown larvae reach a length of 25 mm. They have a greyish-green or yellowish-green body and a brown head.