Waterlily Leafcutter Moth
Elophila obliteralis (Walker, 1859)
Family: Crambidae
Subfamily: Acentropinae
Identification: Sexually dimorphic. Male smaller and more broad-winged than female. Wings grayish brown, with dark brown shading and whitish lines. Reniform spot a whitish crescent. In female, the light areas are paler than in male. Female also less sharply marked.
Wing Span: 1-2.2 cm.
Life History:
Flight: May - August.
Caterpillar Hosts: White water lily, pondweed (illinoiensis and americanensis), water stargrass (Heteranthera), duckweed, Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), Waterhyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), Waterlettuce (Pistia stratiotes), and 60+ other aquatic plant species.
Adult Food:
Habitat:
Range: Common throughout eastern North America.
Conservation:
NCGR:
Management Needs: A minor pest of aquatic ornamentals and sometimes a problem in greenhouses.
Taxonomy Notes: genus Synclita changed to Elophila as per Hugh McGuinness 8/2009. Source: Munroessa was synonymized, along with Synclita, by Goater, Nuss and Speidel in Microlepidoptera of Europe, Vol. 4. Pyraloidea I. 2005.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Synclita obliteralis
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 385 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 17, 2025
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jun 18, 2025
Observation date: Aug 14, 2024
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 30, 2025
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: owlbyr
Region: Union County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 23, 2025
Observation date: Sep 11, 2024
Submitted by: jnchandler
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 16, 2025
Observation date: Sep 26, 2024
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 29, 2024
Observation date: Sep 08, 2024
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 14, 2024
Observation date: Aug 15, 2024
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Sep 01, 2024
Observation date: Aug 12, 2024
Submitted by: Jacksenzig
Region: Taylor County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 30, 2024
Observation date: Aug 25, 2024
Submitted by: SWilliams
Region: York County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Aug 27, 2024
Observation date: Aug 20, 2024
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 23, 2024
Observation date: Jul 27, 2024
Submitted by: Betsy Higgins
Region: Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 03, 2024
Observation date: Jul 27, 2024
Submitted by: Betsy Higgins
Region: Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 03, 2024
Observation date: Jul 29, 2024
Submitted by: vvryabyy
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 31, 2024
Observation date: Jul 25, 2024
Submitted by: vvryabyy
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2024
Observation date: Jul 20, 2024
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 20, 2024
Observation date: Jul 09, 2024
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 11, 2024
Observation date: Jul 06, 2024
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 07, 2024
Observation date: Jun 25, 2024
Submitted by: Thyger
Region: Washington County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 29, 2024
Observation date: Jun 07, 2024
Submitted by: TheWayfarer21
Region: Onslow County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 22, 2024
Observation date: Jun 06, 2024
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 07, 2024
Observation date: Jun 03, 2024
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
Observation date: Sep 04, 2022
Submitted by: CopperGenie
Region: Fayette County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 26, 2024
Observation date: Oct 06, 2021
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 23, 2024
Observation date: May 27, 2020
Submitted by: JTSantangelo
Region: Lake County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 15, 2024
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