Straw-barred pearl
Its caterpillars live and feed together in groups inside silk galleries spun over plantain leaves, sheltering there until they are ready to pupate.
| Where | Chalky and limestone grassland |
|---|---|
| Size | 14 to 19 mm wingspan |
| When | April to September |
The straw-barred pearl is a small day-flying moth with brown or greyish forewings marked with variable pale brown bands, and sharply defined cream lines cross the hindwing, giving the species its name.
Caterpillars feed on ribwort plantain and greater plantain in groups inside silken galleries, and the moth produces two generations a year on chalky and limestone grassland.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Brown, Grey
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The common purple and gold is a similar size at around 20 mm but has bold purple forewings marked with gold bands, unlike the plainer brown and grey pattern of the straw-barred pearl.
Questions
Is the Straw-barred pearl dangerous to people?
Harmless to people.
When can you see the Straw-barred pearl?
The Straw-barred pearl can be seen from April to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Michel Langeveld, CC BY‑SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
The plate on this page is shared under the same licence as its source, CC BY-SA.
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Butterflies and moths›Grass moths›Pyrausta
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.