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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Pyralid and Crambid Snout Moths (Pyraloidea) » Crambid Snout Moths (Crambidae) » Acentropinae » Nymphulini » Elophila » Waterlily Leafcutter - Hodges#4755 (Elophila obliteralis)

Species Elophila obliteralis - Waterlily Leafcutter - Hodges#4755

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Waterlily Leafcutter Moth pupa - Elophila obliteralis

Waterlily Leafcutter Moth - Hodges #4755 - Elophila obliteralis - female

Waterlily Leafcutter - Elophila obliteralis

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Pyraloidea (Pyralid and Crambid Snout Moths)

Family Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)

Subfamily Acentropinae

Tribe Nymphulini

Genus Elophila

Species obliteralis (Waterlily Leafcutter - Hodges#4755)

Hodges Number

4755

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Elophila obliteralis (Walker, 1859)

Isopteryx obliteralis Walker, 1859

Synclita obliteralis

Nymphula obliteralis

Hydrocampa obliteralis

Hydrocampa proprialis Fernald, 1888

Synclita proprialis (Fernald, 1859)

Size

wingspan 10-22 mm, male smaller than female (1)

Identification

Note crescent-shaped, whitish reniform spot. Male is smaller and darker than female, with broader wings (1).

DNA supported

Genitalia:

Range

Includes eastern North America

Season

May-August (1)

Food

Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), Waterhyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), Waterlettuce (Pistia stratiotes), 60+ other aquatic plant species

Life Cycle

Life cycle images:

larva under lily pad, pupa, adult

See Also

Elophila atlantica ranges along the east coast from Maine to Florida and may not be separable from E. obliteralis using photos.

Elophila occidentalis is found in California and Arizona. It may not be separable from E. obliteralis using photos.

Elophila tinealis - See Info page for this species.

Print References

Covell, p. 396, plate 52 # 27 (1)

Internet References

Images and Info at Moth Photographers Group

Images and Info at Barcoding Life

Invasive.org - Image of larva with info

life cycle stages and info Featured Creatures - U of Florida

Works Cited

1.	Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Moths Charles V. Covell. 1984. Houghton Mifflin Company.

Contributed by tom murray on 24 August, 2005 - 8:27pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Steve Nanz, Jason D. Roberts, Robert Lord Zimlich, marcie oconnor, Fyn Kynd, Robert H. Biagi
Last updated 29 August, 2023 - 6:55am

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