Waterlily Borer Moth

Elophila gyralis

''Elophila gyralis'', the waterlily borer moth, is a moth in the family Crambidae. It is found in eastern North America.
Waterlily Borer Moth - Elophila gyralis TL: ~12 mm. Coloration varies. Hosts: Water lilies. Status: Common

Habitat: Attracted to a 365 nm LED light in a semi-rural area

2021(94) Crambidae,Elophila,Elophila gyralis,Geotagged,Summer,United States,Waterlily Borer Moth,moth

Appearance

The wingspan is 16–30 mm. Adults are sexually dimorphic. Females mostly have uniform orangish-yellow to dark brown forewings, while those of the males are orangish brown to dark grayish brown. The hindwings range from whitish to gray. Adults have been recorded on wing year round in the southern part of the range.

Naming

It was described by George Duryea Hulst in 1886.

⤷ ''Elophila gyralis gyralis''
⤷ ''Elophila gyralis serralinealis''

Distribution

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

Food

The larvae feed on the leaves of waterlilies, boring into petioles.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilyCrambidae
GenusElophila
SpeciesE. gyralis