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 25 - 48 of 334 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 08, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 09, 2022
Observation date: May 24, 2022
Submitted by: JamieLynn
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 25, 2022
Observation date: May 15, 2022
Submitted by: Mikelchap
Region: Dade County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: May 24, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2017
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 28, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2021
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Lewis County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Dec 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 05, 2021
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Lewis County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Dec 10, 2021
Observation date: Sep 02, 2021
Submitted by: mysorekid
Region: St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 29, 2021
Observation date: Sep 08, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 19, 2021
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 21, 2021
Observation date: Aug 16, 2021
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 18, 2021
Observation date: Aug 17, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 18, 2021
Observation date: Aug 13, 2021
Submitted by: kristasessions
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Aug 16, 2021
Observation date: Aug 08, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 15, 2021
Observation date: Aug 07, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 08, 2021
Observation date: Jul 24, 2021
Submitted by: David Trently
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 28, 2021
Observation date: Jul 16, 2021
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2021
Observation date: Jul 03, 2021
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 06, 2021
Observation date: Jun 23, 2021
Submitted by: one72guy
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Jun 23, 2021
Observation date: Jun 19, 2021
Submitted by: blueracer
Region: Ashland County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Jun 21, 2021
Observation date: Jun 12, 2021
Submitted by: JamieLynn
Region: Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 13, 2021
Observation date: May 17, 2021
Submitted by: jnchandler
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 12, 2021
Observation date: May 25, 2021
Submitted by: Ilona L.
Region: Dane County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: May 28, 2021
Observation date: May 09, 2021
Submitted by: Mikelchap
Region: Coffee County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: May 17, 2021
Observation date: Aug 14, 2016
Submitted by: pbedell
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 22, 2021
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