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Microcrambus elegans

species of insect

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 30, 2026
Entity authorityQ6839416 ↗
Source-derived summary

Microcrambus elegans, the elegant grass-veneer moth, is a moth of the family Crambidae which was first described in 1860 by James Brackenridge Clemens. Adults are on wing from June to August in the north and from March to October in the south. There is one generation per year in the north and multiple in the south.

Description

M. elegans has silvery-white wings which are shaded with brown in some areas. Adults rest with their wings tightly folded, forming a tube-like shape. From a top-down perspective, they have a "Halloween-mask" like pattern, with two triangular "eyes" and a frowning down-curved "mouth". Another characteristic trait of the species is the seven black dots at the lowermost edge of the forewings. Their wingspan is 12–15 mm. Their antennae are threadlike and slender. The sensory tympanal organs attached to the mouth are long and hairy, creating a snout-like appearance which is common in the Crambinae subfamily.

Editorial summary

Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Microcrambus elegans” is species of insect. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Microcrambus, elegans and species, not as a finished interpretation.

Editorial reviewA sound reference starting point where classification, measurement and the date of the underlying evidence remain visible. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1860—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. For this dossier, Microcrambus, elegans and species is the immediate research focus.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The phrase “species of insect” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.

Evidence profile

The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6839416. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1860.

Critical limits

Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.

Best used for
  • Current terminology
  • Classification context
  • Finding cited technical literature
Verify next

Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Microcrambus elegans”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Microcrambus elegans primary sources, Microcrambus elegans archive and Microcrambus research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Microcrambus elegans”?
  2. Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
  3. Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Microcrambus elegans” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.