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A medium sized Crambus (21-27 mm wingspan). The forewings are yellowish brown with the costal edge being narrowly pearly white for almost half its length; there is a silvery white longitudinal median stripe which widens towards the apex, has a scimitar shaped tip, and has a tooth below; there are four black dots in the lower part of the subterminal line. The hindwings are light grayish brown with grayish white fringes. Similar to C. awemellus but larger, and with forewings having a longitudinal medial stripe which widens toward the apex, is scimitar shaped at the tip, and has a tooth below. Alberta material belongs to the subspecies browni (Klots 1942).

Diurnal and comes to light. Apparently single brooded. Apparently associated with native grassland. As the latter is gradually being replaced by cropland or denigrated by heavy grazing, the numbers of this species will decrease with time.

A North American species that is known from Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. The subspecies browni is known from Alberta and northern Montana. In Alberta it has been found in the prairies and aspen parkland areas and in grassy areas in the Rocky Mountains. Bowman (1951) has it from his Areas 1, 10, 19 and 20.