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 356 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 28, 2022
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
Observation date: Sep 20, 2023
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Camden County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 21, 2023
Observation date: Sep 11, 2023
Submitted by: StevebrownLepid
Region: Lynchburg, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 12, 2023
Observation date: Jul 28, 2023
Submitted by: Betsy Higgins
Region: Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 10, 2023
Observation date: Sep 08, 2023
Submitted by: David Trently
Region: Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 09, 2023
Observation date: Aug 16, 2023
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 17, 2023
Observation date: Jul 25, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 14, 2023
Observation date: Aug 07, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 12, 2023
Observation date: Jul 29, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 31, 2023
Observation date: Jul 29, 2023
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 31, 2023
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 25, 2023
Submitted by: MarkSCitsay
Region: Washington County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 20, 2023
Submitted by: David Trently
Region: Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 22, 2023
Observation date: Jul 09, 2023
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 20, 2023
Observation date: Jul 07, 2023
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 20, 2023
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 16, 2023
Observation date: Jul 06, 2023
Submitted by: Mikelchap
Region: Glynn County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 09, 2023
Observation date: Jun 30, 2023
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 02, 2023
Observation date: Jun 03, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 03, 2023
Observation date: Jun 02, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 03, 2023
Observation date: Sep 07, 2022
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Oct 17, 2022
Observation date: Sep 15, 2022
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Oct 17, 2022
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