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Species Details

Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum Read more about this collection »

Common NameClover Looper, Range Grass-moth SeasonalityAdults are on the wing in Alberta from early May through mid September. IdentificationA medium-size (3-3.2 cm wingspan) brownish grey (male) or brown (female) moth active both during the day and night. The forewing of the male is crossed by two the antemedian one running obliquely to the lower wing margin and touching or almost touching the vertical postmedian band near the lower margin. Crassiuscula is smaller (particularly the small spring brood specimens formerly treated as sp. distincta) and less "crisply" marked than the similar C. erechtea. The female is brown, is a bit larger and has more diffuse marking than does the male. Some larger male specimens may be very difficult to separate from C. erechtea, but these can be identified by checking the genitalia, which differ greatly in the two species.
Scientific Name Caenurgina crassiuscula Common Name Clover Looper, Range Grass-moth Habitat Roadsides, old fields, pastures, meadows and other open grassy areas. Seasonality Adults are on the wing in Alberta from early May through mid September. Identification
A medium-size (3-3.2 cm wingspan) brownish grey (male) or brown (female) moth active both during the day and night. The forewing of the male is crossed by two the antemedian one running obliquely to the lower wing…
A medium-size (3-3.2 cm wingspan) brownish grey (male) or brown (female) moth active both during the day and night. The forewing of the male is crossed by two the antemedian one running obliquely to the lower wing margin and touching or almost touching the vertical postmedian band near the lower margin. Crassiuscula is smaller (particularly the small spring brood specimens formerly treated as sp. distincta) and less "crisply" marked than the similar C. erechtea. The female is brown, is a bit larger and has more diffuse marking than does the male. Some larger male specimens may be very difficult to separate from C. erechtea, but these can be identified by checking the genitalia, which differ greatly in the two species.
Life History This moth is somewhat unusual in that it is active both during the day and at night. There are two or more broods per year, with an early brood of smaller adults appearing in May. Conservation A common, widespread species; no concerns. Diet Info No Alberta data. Elsewhere the larvae are reported to eat grasses (Gramineae) (Rockburne and Lafontaine, 1976), clover (Trifolium), lupines (Lupinus) , and grasses (Covell, 1984). Range Found throughout most of the USA and Canada; in Canada from the maritimes west to BC and north to James Bay and Yukon. Throughout most of Alberta, from the Milk River to the Caribou Mountains.

Citation

Page Citation for Caenurgina crassiuscula

Page Citation

"Species Details - Caenurgina crassiuscula, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-3714. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.

References

Specimen Information

There are 193 specimens of this Species.

193 results plotted on map in 87 markers.
Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.

UASM13904 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1950-06-13

UASM13909 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Medicine Hat Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1943-07-23

UASM13914 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1919-06-26

UASM13926 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Lethbridge Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1923-08-25

UASM13936 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1919-06-19

UASM13938 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1917-05-27

UASM13943 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1917-05-27

UASM13950 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Medicine Hat Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1943-07-23

UASM13951 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Kananaskis Country, Kananaskis Collected ByBrowett, R. Date Collected1957-06-05

UASM13956 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1919-05-11

UASM13957 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Red Deer Collected ByWhitehouse, F. C. Date Collected1916-05-14

UASM13958 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Red Deer Collected ByWhitehouse, F. C. Date Collected1916-05-14

UASM13974 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1918-06-08

UASM13975 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1918-06-08

UASM13983 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Red Deer Collected ByCrosby, G. C. S. Date Collected1923-06-11

UASM7135 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Tofield Collected BySchmidt, B. C. Date Collected1999-08-04

UASM34544 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1996-07-30

UASM34546 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Calgary Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected1993-05-30

UASM34773 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected1997-08-05

UASM34774 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected1997-08-04

UASM34775 - Caenurgina crassiuscula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected1997-08-04

Adult Seasonal Distribution