Elophila tinealis

Munroe, 1972

Black Duckweed Moth

Elophila tinealis, the black duckweed , is a North American moth in the Crambidae. Described by Eugene G. Munroe in 1972, it inhabits swamps and wet woods from Michigan, Ontario, and New York south to Florida and west to Texas. The larvae feed on duckweeds (Lemna ).

- 4754 – Elophila tinealis (19705491769) by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

- 4754 – Elophila tinealis (19787163279) by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Elophila tinealis (moth) (14935774829) by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Elophila tinealis: /ɛˈlɒfɪlə tɪnɪˈeɪlɪs/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

May be distinguished from related Elophila by association with Lemna plants in swampy ; specific diagnostic morphological features are not documented in available sources.

Images

Habitat

Swamps and wet woods.

Distribution

North America: Michigan, Ontario, New York south to Florida, and west to Texas. Additional records from Vermont.

Diet

Larvae feed on Lemna (duckweeds). diet is not documented.

Host Associations

Lemna - larval food plantduckweed

Ecological Role

Larval herbivore on aquatic duckweeds; may serve as for , though specific parasitoid relationships for E. tinealis are not documented.

Similar Taxa

Elophila turbataCongeneric with similar aquatic habits; E. turbata larvae construct portable cases from aquatic plant fragments and are known of the Microgaster godzilla, whereas E. tinealis is associated with Lemna feeding and lacks documented case-building .

More Details

Taxonomic note

The Elophila belongs to Acentropinae, a group of crambid often associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic .