Scoparia pyralella, the meadow grey, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. It was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775.[1]
This species can be found in most of Europe.[2] [3] It is quite common over most of Britain. It inhabits fields and forests.
Scoparia pyralella has a wingspan of 17–20 mm. These small moths have pale brown or whitish forewings with darker brown markings and transversal white lines. Hindwings are whitish Meyrick describes it -The forewings are white, more or less sprinkled with dark fuscous; a black ochreous- mixed mark from base of costa ; lines white, dark-edged, first rather irregular, secondslightly angulate-sinuate above middle ; round orbicular, and narrow oval claviform yellow - ochreous, edged with dark fnscous, resting on first line; discal spot large, 8 -shaped,yellow -ochreous, dark -margined, touching costa above, and second line beneath ; terminal area dark fuscous, subterminal line white, irregular. Hindwings are ochreous-whitish, terminally suffused with grey.[4]
This species is rather similar to Scoparia ambigualis, Scoparia ancipitella, Scoparia basistrigalis, Scoparia subfusca, Eudonia lineola and Eudonia murana.[5]
The moths fly from June to July, depending on the location. They are active mainly at dusk and night. The larvae feed on decaying leaves of various low-growing plants and perhaps on the roots of Senecio jacobaea.