Species Homophoberia cristata - Waterlily Moth - Hodges#9056

9056

Homophoberia caduca (Grote, 1876)

Homophoberia retis (Grote, 1879)

23-30mm

Spatterdock (Nuphar luteum)

Average adult life-span is 6 days with a maximum of 13 days. Females typically deposit eggs on the upper surface of leaves singly or in irregular groups. A single female is capable of laying upwards of 900 eggs during her reproductive period. Most of the eggs are deposited in the first few days after emergence from the pupa.

The first instars are translucent green with numerous spots and measure only 2 mm in length. Later instars are pale green with dark red markings on the sides and measure upwards of 3.2 cm in length. There are a total of 5 larval instars with a total development of about 26 days. Just prior to pupation the larvae turn a deep red color. The larvae reportedly swim to shore to pupate in the soil. They create a silken lined chamber in the soil in which to pupate.

The pupae are dark brown and measure 14 mm in length. Total pupation time is about 9 days. While it has been reported that this species pupates in the soil pupae are frequently found within white silken cocoons on the upper surface of spatterdock leaves or under rolled edges of leaves. They can also be found on leaves of nearby emergent plant species.

Moth Photographers Group (MPG)

Nearctica by Robert W. Poole

Barcode of Life (BOLD)

Georgia Lepidoptera - Image of pinned adult

Moths of Maryland - Image of pinned adult

Misc (jaxshells.org) - Image of larvae