| 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) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Waterlily Leafcutter Moth (Elophila obliteralis) is a moth of the Crambidae family. It is native to eastern North America. It is an introduced species in Hawaii.
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 does 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.