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.
Comments:
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
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 250 verified sightings

Observation date: Jul 15, 2019
Submitted by: NNing
Region: Geauga County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 25, 2019

Observation date: Jul 11, 2019
Submitted by: klebo
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 21, 2019

Observation date: Oct 02, 2019
Submitted by: Rick Welton
Region: Lake County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Oct 04, 2019

Observation date: Sep 05, 2019
Submitted by: Howell_Curtis
Region: Harrison County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Sep 06, 2019

Observation date: Aug 28, 2019
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 03, 2019

Observation date: Aug 31, 2019
Submitted by: tirvine2020
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2019

Observation date: Aug 12, 2019
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 15, 2019

Observation date: Aug 07, 2019
Submitted by: Joe Bartok
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 07, 2019

Observation date: Jul 30, 2019
Submitted by: Joe Bartok
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 07, 2019

Observation date: Jul 24, 2019
Submitted by: JMJaskula
Region: Boone County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Jul 29, 2019

Observation date: Jul 16, 2019
Submitted by: AnnainOK
Region: Choctaw County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 19, 2019

Observation date: Jul 07, 2019
Submitted by: Jacksenzig
Region: Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 18, 2019

Observation date: Jul 12, 2019
Submitted by: Jacksenzig
Region: Racine County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 13, 2019

Observation date: Aug 02, 2014
Submitted by: b.cn.u
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 11, 2019

Observation date: Jun 19, 2019
Submitted by: meadowglenfarm
Region: Scott County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 21, 2019

Observation date: Jun 16, 2019
Submitted by: Mikelchap
Region: Glynn County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 19, 2019

Observation date: May 25, 2019
Submitted by: Mikelchap
Region: Glynn County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: May 29, 2019

Observation date: Apr 03, 2018
Submitted by: sari
Region: Texas, United States, Walker County
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 08, 2019

Observation date: Apr 28, 2019
Submitted by: honeymushroom
Region: Bastrop County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 08, 2019

Observation date: Apr 12, 2019
Submitted by: Mikelchap
Region: Glynn County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Apr 17, 2019

Observation date: Sep 04, 2018
Submitted by: hullyjr
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 10, 2019

Observation date: Sep 07, 2018
Submitted by: hullyjr
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 10, 2019

Observation date: Sep 07, 2018
Submitted by: hullyjr
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 10, 2019

Observation date: Sep 07, 2018
Submitted by: hullyjr
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 10, 2019
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