Moths of North Carolina
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Significant Contributors
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACROLEPIIDAE-
ADELIDAE-
AMPHISBATIDAE-
AUTOSTICHIDAE-
BATRACHEDRIDAE-
BEDELLIIDAE-
BLASTOBASIDAE-
BOMBYCIDAE-
BUCCULATRICIDAE-
CARPOSINIDAE-
CHOREUTIDAE-
COLEOPHORIDAE-
COSMOPTERIGIDAE-
COSSIDAE-
CRAMBIDAE-
DEPRESSARIIDAE-
DREPANIDAE-
ELACHISTIDAE-
EPERMENIIDAE-
EPIPYROPIDAE-
EREBIDAE-Erebid Moths
ERIOCRANIIDAE-
EUTELIIDAE-
GALACTICIDAE-
GELECHIIDAE-
GEOMETRIDAE-
GLYPHIDOCERIDAE-
GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE-
GRACILLARIIDAE-
HELIOZELIDAE-
HEPIALIDAE-
HYBLAEIDAE-
INCURVARIIDAE-
LASIOCAMPIDAE-
LECITHOCERIDAE-Long-horned Moths
LIMACODIDAE-
LYONETIIDAE-
MEGALOPYGIDAE-Flannel Moths
MICROPTERIGIDAE-
MIMALLONIDAE-
MOMPHIDAE-Mompha Moths
NEPTICULIDAE-
NOCTUIDAE-Owlet Moths
NOLIDAE-
NOTODONTIDAE-
OECOPHORIDAE-
OPOSTEGIDAE-
PELEOPODIDAE-
PLUTELLIDAE-
PRODOXIDAE-
PSYCHIDAE-Bagworm Moths
PTEROPHORIDAE-
PYRALIDAE-
SATURNIIDAE-Saturniids
SCHRECKENSTEINIIDAE-
SESIIDAE-
SPHINGIDAE-Sphinx Moths
THYATIRIDAE-
THYRIDIDAE-
TINEIDAE-
TISCHERIIDAE-
TORTRICIDAE-
URANIIDAE-
URODIDAE-
XYLORYCTIDAE-
YPONOMEUTIDAE-
YPSOLOPHIDAE-
ZYGAENIDAE-
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Crambidae Members:
Achyra rantalis
Aethiophysa consimilis
Aethiophysa invisalis
Aethiophysa unidentified species
Agriphila ruricolellus
Agriphila vulgivagellus
Anageshna primordialis
Anania coronata complex
Anania extricalis
Anania funebris
Anania leuschneri
Anania mysippusalis
Anania plectilis
Anania tennesseensis
Anania tertialis
Anania unidentified species
Apogeshna stenialis
Arequipa turbatella
Argyria gonogramma
Argyria nummulalis
Argyria rufisignella
Ategumia ebulealis
Blepharomastix ranalis
Carectocultus dominicki
Carectocultus perstrialis
Catoptria latiradiellus
Chalcoela iphitalis
Chalcoela pegasalis
Chilo demotella
Chilo plejadellus
Choristostigma roseopennalis
Chrysendeton imitabilis
Chrysendeton medicinalis
Chrysoteuchia topiarius
Chrysoteuchia unidentified species
Colomychus talis
Conchylodes ovulalis
Condylorrhiza vestigialis
Crambini unidentified species
Crambus agitatellus
Crambus ainslieellus
Crambus albellus
Crambus braunellus
Crambus girardellus
Crambus laqueatellus
Crambus leachellus
Crambus multilinellus
Crambus pascuella
Crambus praefectellus
Crambus quinquareatus
Crambus saltuellus
Crambus sanfordellus
Crambus satrapellus
Crambus unidentified species
Crambus youngellus
Crocidophora pustuliferalis
Crocidophora serratissimalis
Crocidophora tuberculalis
Daulia magdalena
Desmia funeralis
Desmia maculalis
Desmia subdivisalis
Desmia unidentified species
Diacme adipaloides
Diacme elealis
Diacme unidentified species
Diaphania costata
Diaphania hyalinata
Diaphania nitidalis
Diasemiodes janassialis
Diasemiodes nigralis
Diasemiopsis leodocusalis
Diastictis argyralis
Diastictis baccatalis
Diastictis pseudargyralis
Diastictis unidentified species
Diastictis ventralis
Diathrausta harlequinalis
Diathrausta reconditalis
Diatraea crambidoides
Diatraea evanescens
Diatraea lisetta
Diatraea unidentified species
Dicymolomia julianalis
Donacaula aquilellus
Donacaula dispersellus
Donacaula longirostrallus
Donacaula maximellus
Donacaula melinellus
Donacaula nitidellus
Donacaula roscidellus
Donacaula sordidellus
Donacaula tripunctellus
Donacaula unidentified species
Donacaula unipunctellus
Duponchelia fovealis
Ecpyrrhorrhoe puralis
Elophila atlantica
Elophila faulalis
Elophila gyralis
Elophila icciusalis
Elophila nebulosalis
Elophila obliteralis
Elophila tinealis
Eoparargyractis irroratalis
Eoparargyractis plevie
Eoparargyractis unidentified species
Eoreuma densellus
Epina dichromella
Epipagis fenestralis
Euchromius ocellea
Eudonia alpina
Eudonia heterosalis
Eudonia strigalis
Eudonia unidentified species
Eulepte anticostalis
Eustixia pupula
Evergestis pallidata
Evergestis rimosalis
Evergestis unimacula
Fissicrambus mutabilis
Fissicrambus profanellus
Fissicrambus unidentified species
Framinghamia helvalis
Fumibotys fumalis
Geshna cannalis
Glaphyria basiflavalis
Glaphyria cappsi
Glaphyria fulminalis
Glaphyria glaphyralis
Glaphyria peremptalis
Glaphyria sesquistrialis
Glyphodes pyloalis
Glyphodes sibillalis
Hahncappsia mancalis
Hahncappsia marculenta
Hahncappsia neobliteralis
Hahncappsia neomarculenta
Hahncappsia unidentified species
Haimbachia albescens
Haimbachia placidellus
Haimbachia squamulellus
Hellula phidilealis
Hellula rogatalis
Helvibotys helvialis
Helvibotys pucilla
Herpetogramma aeglealis
Herpetogramma bipunctalis
Herpetogramma centrostrigalis
Herpetogramma fluctuosalis
Herpetogramma pertextalis
Herpetogramma phaeopteralis
Herpetogramma sphingealis
Herpetogramma theseusalis
Herpetogramma thestealis
Herpetogramma unidentified species
Hymenia perspectalis
Leptosteges flavifascialis
Leptosteges vestaliella
Lineodes fontella
Lipocosma adelalis
Lipocosma septa
Lipocosma sicalis
Lipocosma unidentified species
Lipocosmodes fuliginosalis
Loxostege cereralis
Loxostege commixtalis
Loxostegopsis merrickalis
Lygropia rivulalis
Lygropia tripunctata
Marasmia cochrusalis
Marasmia trapezalis
Mesolia incertellus
Microcrambus biguttellus
Microcrambus elegans
Microcrambus kimballi
Microcrambus minor
Microcrambus new species
Microcrambus unidentified species
Microtheoris ophionalis
Mimoschinia rufofascialis
Nacoleia charesalis
Nascia acutellus
Neargyractis slossonalis
Neocataclysta magnificalis
Neodactria caliginosellus
Neodactria luteolellus
Neodactria new species
Neodactria unidentified species
Neodactria zeellus
Neohelvibotys neohelvialis
Neohelvibotys polingi
Neohelvibotys unidentified species
Nephrogramma reniculalis
Nomophila nearctica
Oenobotys vinotinctalis
Ostrinia multispinosa
Ostrinia nubilalis
Ostrinia obumbratalis
Ostrinia penitalis
Ostrinia unidentified species
Palpita aenescentalis
Palpita freemanalis
Palpita illibalis
Palpita magniferalis
Palpita maritima
Palpita quadristigmalis
Palpita unidentified species
Pantographa limata
Parapediasia decorellus
Parapediasia teterrellus
Parapoynx allionealis
Parapoynx maculalis
Parapoynx obscuralis
Parapoynx seminealis
Patania silicalis
Pediasia trisecta
Perispasta caeculalis
Petrophila bifascialis
Petrophila canadensis
Petrophila fulicalis
Petrophila unidentified species
Phaedropsis stictigramma
Pilocrocis ramentalis
Polygrammodes flavidalis
Polygrammodes oxydalis
Prionapteryx achatina
Prionapteryx new species
Prionapteryx serpentella
Psara obscuralis
Pyrausta acrionalis
Pyrausta bicoloralis
Pyrausta demantrialis
Pyrausta fodinalis
Pyrausta generosa
Pyrausta homonymalis
Pyrausta inornatalis
Pyrausta inveterascalis
Pyrausta laticlavia
Pyrausta niveicilialis
Pyrausta orphisalis
Pyrausta rubricalis
Pyrausta signatalis
Pyrausta subsequalis
Pyrausta tyralis
Pyraustinae unidentified species
Raphiptera argillaceellus
Rhectocraspeda periusalis
Rupela segrega
Rupela tinctella
Samea castellalis
Samea multiplicalis
Samea unidentified species
Saucrobotys futilalis
Scoparia basalis
Scoparia biplagialis
Scoparia cinereomedia
Scoparia dominicki
Scoparia penumbralis
Scoparia unidentified species
Sericoplaga externalis
Sitochroa palealis
Spoladea recurvalis
Syngamia florella
Thaumatopsis edonis
Thaumatopsis floridella
Thopeutis forbesellus
Udea rubigalis
Undulambia striatalis
Uresiphita reversalis
Urola nivalis
Vaxi auratellus
Vaxi critica
Xanthophysa psychicalis
Xubida linearella
Xubida panalope
Xubida unidentified species
Elophila
Members:
Elophila atlantica
Elophila faulalis
Elophila gyralis
Elophila icciusalis
Elophila nebulosalis
Elophila obliteralis
Elophila tinealis
193 NC Records
Elophila obliteralis
(Walker, 1859) - Waterlily Leafcutter Moth
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea
Family:
Crambidae
Subfamily:
Acentropinae
Tribe:
Nymphulini
P3 Number:
800729.00
MONA Number:
4755.00
MONA Synonym:
Synclita obliteralis
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.
Species Status:
"Females of tinealis and males of obliteralis can be confused. Need to know size and sex" (Scholtens, 2017)
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Covell (1984; as
Synclita obliteralis
); Beadle and Leckie (2012; as
Synclita obliteralis
)
Online Photographs:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Technical Description, Adults:
Munroe (1972)
Technical Description, Immature Stages:
Habeck and Cuda (2009)
Adult Markings:
Elophila obliteralis
is sexually dimorphic, with the males being smaller (forewing length = 5-6 mm), darker, and with proportionately wider forewings. The ground color of the forewing is fuscous and is obscurely variegated with brown (Munroe, 1972). A whitish, crescent-shaped, reniform spot is present on the forewings of both sexes. The females are larger (forewing length = 7-9 mm) and are lighter-colored. The forewing coloration and patterning varies, but most specimens have a grayish brown or orangish-brown ground that is overlain with varying amounts of darker dusting. This is often concentrated near the wing base, the middle, and the subterminal region to form diffuse dark bands. On some individuals the dark bands are margined with white scales on the apical margin.
Wingspan:
5-6 mm for males and 7-9 mm for females (Munroe, 1972)
Adult Structural Features:
Munroe (1972) has illustrations and descriptions of the male genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements:
Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development:
The larvae are highly polyphagous and feed on a wide variety of aquatic plants, including duckweeds (Stoops et al., 1998; Habeck and Cuda, 2009). The females lay whitish eggs singly or in overlapping, ribbon-like masses near the edges of submersed leaf surfaces. The larvae typically construct an oval, flattened case from two leaves or pieces of leaves and remain in their cases when feeding on leaves or stems. As they grow they abandon their existing cases and create larger ones to accommodate their larger body size. When using duckweed they make a case by webbing together individual plants. The older larvae have a creamy-white body that phases into light brown between the fourth abdominal segment and the prothorax (Dray and Center, 2002; Habeck and Cuda, 2009). The head is yellowish-brown with a faint brown cheek stripe. The larvae lack tracheal gills, which is unique among North American members of this genus. Pupation occurs within the case. The larvae of
Elophila obliteralis
can reach high densities in Florida wetlands. This and other aquatic moths appear to play a significant role in controlling invasive plants such as Water Lettuce (
Pistia stratiotes
; Foley et al., 2023).
Larvae ID Requirements:
Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
Elophila obliteralis
is widely distributed across the eastern US and adjoining areas of southern Canada. Populations that likely reflect introductions are present in western North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. In the US, population range from the New England states westward to the Dakotas and southward to southern Texas and southern Florida. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina.
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