Moths of North Carolina

Scientific Name:	Common Name:		Family (Alpha): Choose a Family

Home

View PDF	Crambidae Members:	Elophila Members:	63 NC Records

Elophila icciusalis (Walker, 1859) - Pondside Crambid

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Pyraloidea

Family:
Crambidae

Subfamily:
Acentropinae

Tribe:
Nymphulini

P3 Number:
80a1308

MONA Number:
4748.00

Other Common Name:
Pondside Pyralid Moth

Comments: The genus Elophila contains nearly 50 described species that occur on most continents worldwide. Nine species occur in North America – including seven in North Carolina -- and all have aquatic larvae that feed on floating and submerged plants. The larvae live in cases that are constructed from cut-out portions of leaves or leaf fragments, with pupation occurring within the case. The larvae are gill-less and appear to obtain oxygen by storing air in their cases.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923); Munroe (1972)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Welch (1916); Forbes (1923)

Adult Markings: Elophila icciusalis is a boldly marked species that varies substantially in size and markings across its range. The abdomen has white bands that alternate with yellowish to light brown bands. Specimens typically have a mainly yellow or light-brown ground color on both the forewing and hindwing that is overlain with numerous silvery white patches and bars, many of which are lined on one margin with black (Forbes, 1923; Munroe, 1972). Some of the more distinctive marks on the forewing include 1) an outwardly oblique, black line followed by a white triangle near the middle of the costa, 2) a large white spot near the middle of the inner margin that is rather crisply encircled or nearly encircled with black, 3) a wavy or W-shaped white mark that is margined outwardly with black that extends from the costa at about three-fourths inward to the middle of the wing, and 4) a white subterminal line that is strongly irregular or undulating and usually edged outwardly with black, at least towards the apex.

The hindwing is generally similar, but has a white basal area and a broad median white band that is bordered both basally and distally by a black line. The basal black line is straight and oblique, while the distal line is strongly sinuate and is sometimes followed by a second, more diffuse, parallel black band. The fringe on both the forewing and hindwing is checkered to varying degrees with white, fuscous and yellow or buff (Munroe, 1972). Elophila icciusalis is generally similar to E. faulalis, but the latter has marks that are less distinct and wings that are often heavily dusted with fuscous on the distal half.

Wingspan: 12-20 mm (Munroe, 1972)

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: The larvae are aquatic and are found in vegetated, standing water habitats. They make oblong, biconvex cases out of silk and parts of various aquatic plants, and feed on the leaves of aquatic plants (Munroe, 1972). Welch (1916) studied this species in New York and noted that females lay clusters of 17-76 eggs on the lower surfaces of leaves, particularly those of Floating Pondweed (Potamogeton natans). The egg clusters were typically arranged in four concentric, curved rows near the leaf margin. They were uniformly spaced and followed the curvature of the leaf margin. Hatching occurred after 10-11 days. The first-instar larvae had whitish, translucent bodies and very dark brown heads and thoracic shields. They mostly lived on the undersides of leaves and began making cases within a day or two by cutting pieces of leaf material from living plants. They made new cases as they aged. Forbes (1910) described the older larvae as having dull gray bodies and blackish-brown heads, and noted that the final instar anchors the case beneath the water on a submerged stem and pupates within the case. The adults that emerges presumably swim or crawl to the surface before expanding their wings.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Elophila icciusalis is widely distributed across eastern North America, and also occurs in the western US from California northward to Washington. It occurs throughout southern Canada from British Columbia eastward to Prince Edward Island, and in the eastern US from Maine southward to southern Florida, and westward to eastern Texas, eastern Oklahoma, eastern Missouri, western Tennessee, western Kentucky, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. An apparent disjunct group is present in northern Nebraska. As of 2023, we have scattered records from the Coastal Plain, eastern Piedmont, and lower valleys of the southwestern Blue Ridge. This species is generally most common in the Coastal Plain where suitable habitats are more prevalent.

County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.


Flight Dates: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: The adults have been observed during almost every month of the year in Florida, and mostly from April through September farther north. As of 2023, our records extend from late April through early October. Populations in the Coastal Plain have an extensive flight period that is consistent with two or more overlapping generations per year.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations are found in and around vegetated ponds and other standing water habitats that support the aquatic larvae.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae feed on several aquatic plants (Forbes, 1910 and 1923; Welch, 1916; Berg, 1950; McGaha, 1954; Covell, 1984; Scholtens 1996). The reported hosts include Water-shield (Brasenia schreberi), aquatic sedges (Carex), duckweeds (Lemna and Spirodela), Water Clover (Marsilia quadrifolia), Buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata), Floating Pondweed (Potamogeton natans) and American Eelgrass (Vallisneria americana). - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and are often seen during the day perched on vegetation, nectaring on flowers, or flying over or along the margins of vegetated ponds and other aquatic sites.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Herbaceous Ponds

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S3S4

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: This species appears to be somewhat common within the state, but populations are restricted to sites where vegetated standing-water habitats are present.

Photo Gallery for Elophila icciusalis - Pondside Crambid

46 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-02 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-01 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-22 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2025-09-20 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2025-09-19 Onslow Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Larry Chen, Sarah Toner on 2025-09-06 Beaufort Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-07-21 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf on 2025-07-20 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-06-25 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-06-17 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-06-06 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-06-05 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-23 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-07-06 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2024-06-29 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-13 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-13 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Hunter Phillips on 2024-06-07 Onslow Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-04 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Terrell Tucker on 2023-08-31 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Steve Hall, and Bo Sullivan. on 2022-09-27 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-08-23 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan, and Steve Hall on 2022-07-24 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2022-06-22 Caswell Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2021-10-04 Scotland Co. Comment: