The larvae feed on the stems of various grasses, including Gramineae, Phleum and Alopecurus species, Triticum aestivum, Secale cereale, Elytrigia repens, Elymus arenarius, Dactylis glomerata and Festuca arundinacea.
The larva is brown with dark and white lines and feeds on various grasses including Alopecurus, Dactylis, Deschampsia, Leymus and Phragmites and has also been recorded on the sedge, Carex and the rush, Luzula.