Fauna
Insect

Sod Webworm Moth

Pediasia trisecta

Also known as Large Sod Webworm, Greater Sod Webworm

Sod webworm moths rest head-down along grass stems during daylight, tightly rolling their pale tan wings around their bodies to blend seamlessly into dry thatch. At dusk, females fly low across lawns and pastures to scatter hundreds of eggs onto the turf, where hatching larvae build silk-lined subterranean burrows and graze on grass blades near the crown. While heavy larval feeding can leave unsightly brown patches in domestic lawns, the fluttering adults provide an abundant food source for insectivorous birds, bats, and predatory beetles.

NocturnalGrasslandAgricultural
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyKentucky Bluegrass, Fine Fescue, Flower Nectar
Predators
  • Big Brown Bat
  • American Robin
  • Ground Beetle
ThreatsLawn insecticides, broad-spectrum pesticides, and artificial light pollution
HabitatsLawns, golf courses, pastures, meadows, and prairie grasslands
Life span1 year (adults live 1–2 weeks)
  1. OrderLepidoptera
  2. FamilyCrambidae
  3. GenusPediasia
  4. SpeciesPediasia trisecta
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Flushing moths: Walk through unmown turf on late summer afternoons to watch them flutter short zig-zag flights before dropping back down.
  • Night observation: Attract adult moths for close study by setting up a blacklight or illuminated white sheet near a lawn edge.
  • Identifying damage: Part dead brown patches in turfgrass to look for silk-lined tubes containing caterpillars and green frass pellets.
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Species set

Moonlight Marvels

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