Elophila obliteralis

Elophila obliteralis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Crambidae
Genus: Elophila
Species: E. obliteralis
Binomial name
Elophila obliteralis
(Walker, 1859)
Synonyms
  • Isopteryx obliteralis Walker, 1859
  • Synclita obliteralis
  • Nymphula obliteralis
  • Hydrocampa obliteralis
  • Hydrocampa proprialis Fernald, 1888
  • Synclita proprialis (Fernald, 1859)

Elophila obliteralis, the waterlily leafcutter moth, is a moth of the family Crambidae. It was described by Francis Walker in 1859. It is native to eastern North America. It is an introduced species in Hawaii and South Africa.[1]

The wingspan is 10–22 mm with the male being smaller than the female. Adults are on wing from May to August in North America.

The larvae feed on a wide range of aquatic plants, including Hydrilla verticillata, Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes, Nymphaea and Potamogeton species. At birth, larvae have a longitudinal tracheal system and some long simple hairs but do not later acquire filamentous gills. It forms a case of leaf debris. The larvae are about 9 mm long and have a pale brown head and a dull pallid-green body.

References

  1. ↑ Agassiz, D.J.L., 2012: The Acentropinae (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae) of Africa. Zootaxa 3494: 1–73. Abstract: .
  • Zimmerman, Elwood C. (1958). Insects of Hawaii. 8 Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea. University of Hawaii Press.
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