Aquatic-moth
Guides
Acentria ephemerella
Water Veneer, watermilfoil moth
Acentria ephemerella is an aquatic moth in the family Crambidae, notable as the only moth with females that remain fully aquatic throughout their entire adult lives. The species exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism: most females are brachypterous (short-winged and flightless) with swimming adaptations including additional hairs on their legs, while males have fully developed wings and live only 1-2 days solely for breeding. Native to Europe and now established in North America, this species has gained attention as a biological control agent for invasive aquatic plants, particularly Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum).
Argyractis drumalis
Argyractis drumalis is a small aquatic moth in the family Crambidae, subfamily Acentropinae. It is endemic to Florida and associated with freshwater aquatic habitats. The species is named for Fort Drum, its type locality. Adults are active year-round with peak presence from February through November.
Aulacodes cf-aechmialis
Aulacodes cf-aechmialis is a moth in the family Crambidae, subfamily Acentropinae. The 'cf.' designation indicates this identification is provisional, based on comparison with the described species Aulacodes aechmialis. Acentropinae moths are predominantly associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats. This taxon belongs to a genus of small moths whose larvae are typically aquatic and feed on submerged vegetation.
Bellura densa
Pickerelweed Borer Moth
Bellura densa, commonly known as the pickerelweed borer moth, is a noctuid moth species native to eastern and southeastern North America. The species is notable for its aquatic or semi-aquatic larval biology, with caterpillars that bore into and feed on wetland plants. Adults are medium-sized moths with a wingspan of 35–50 mm. The species is associated with freshwater wetland habitats and has been documented from Maryland to Florida and west to Indiana and Louisiana.
Bellura vulnifica
Black-tailed Diver Moth, Black-tailed Diver
Bellura vulnifica, commonly known as the black-tailed diver moth, is a North American species in the family Noctuidae. The species is part of the aquatic moth genus Bellura, whose larvae are known to inhabit freshwater environments and feed on aquatic vegetation. Adults are nocturnal. The species is assigned Hodges number 9523.1.
Crambidae
Crambid Snout Moths, grass moths
Crambidae is a large family of Lepidoptera comprising over 10,000 species in more than 1,000 genera across 15 subfamilies. The family includes economically significant agricultural pests such as the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), sod webworms (Crambus spp.), and the invasive box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis). Historically treated as a subfamily of Pyralidae, Crambidae was elevated to full family status based on the presence of a praecinctorium—a structure joining two tympanic membranes absent in Pyralidae. Members exhibit diverse morphologies: Crambinae (grass moths) are slender with wings folded tightly around the body at rest, while other subfamilies display bright coloration and rest with wings spread.
Elophila gyralis
Waterlily Borer Moth
Elophila gyralis, commonly known as the waterlily borer moth, is a species of aquatic moth in the family Crambidae. It was first described by George Duryea Hulst in 1886. The species is distributed across eastern North America, ranging from Canada through the eastern and central United States. Its common name suggests an association with waterlily plants, though specific larval host details require further documentation.
Elophila icciusalis
pondside pyralid moth, Pondside Crambid Moth
Elophila icciusalis, commonly known as the pondside pyralid moth, is a small crambid moth native to most of North America. The species has a wingspan of 16–26 mm and is active from June through September. Its larvae are fully aquatic, feeding on submerged aquatic vegetation in freshwater habitats. Three subspecies are recognized: E. i. albiplaga, E. i. avalona, and the nominate E. i. icciusalis.
Elophila obliteralis
Waterlily Leafcutter Moth
Elophila obliteralis is a small aquatic moth native to eastern North America, with introduced populations in Hawaii, South Africa, and England. Adults have a wingspan of 10–22 mm and are active from May to August. The larvae are aquatic, feeding on diverse aquatic plants and constructing protective cases from cut leaf pieces held together with silk. The species has been investigated as a biological control agent for invasive aquatic plants including Nymphoides peltata and Hygrophila polysperma.
Elophila occidentalis
Elophila occidentalis is a small crambid moth described by William Harry Lange in 1956. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in wing size, with females notably larger than males. Adults are active during summer months with multiple generations per year. Larvae are aquatic and feed on submerged aquatic plants.
Elophila tinealis
Black Duckweed Moth
Elophila tinealis, the black duckweed moth, is a North American moth in the family 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 species).
Eoparargyractis
Eoparargyractis is a genus of aquatic moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Acentropinae. Described by Lange in 1956, it contains three recognized species distributed in North America. The genus belongs to a group of moths whose larvae are adapted to freshwater habitats. Species include E. floridalis, E. irroratalis, and E. plevie.
Eoparargyractis floridalis
Eoparargyractis floridalis is a small moth in the family Crambidae, described by William Harry Lange in 1956. It belongs to the subfamily Acentropinae, a group commonly known as water moths due to their association with aquatic habitats. The species is known from limited records in the southeastern United States.
Langessa nomophilalis
black langessa moth
Langessa nomophilalis, the black langessa moth, is the sole species in the genus Langessa. It is a small crambid moth in the subfamily Acentropinae. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States with a restricted coastal plain distribution. It was first described by Harrison Gray Dyar in 1906, originally placed in the genus Nymphula.
Niphograpta albiguttalis
Water Hyacinth Moth
Niphograpta albiguttalis is the sole species in its genus, a crambid moth native to the Amazon basin. It has been intentionally introduced to multiple continents as a biological control agent for water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). The moth's larvae tunnel into water hyacinth leaves and petioles, causing damage that can reduce plant vigor and spread. It is established in the southeastern United States, parts of Africa, and eastern Australia.
Oxyelophila callista
Oxyelophila callista is a small moth species in the family Crambidae, described by William Trowbridge Merrifield Forbes in 1922. It is known from Texas and is characterized by aquatic larval development, an unusual trait among Lepidoptera. The species has a wingspan of approximately 13 mm and shows adult activity in spring and autumn.
Parapoynx diminutalis
Hydrilla leafcutter moth
Parapoynx diminutalis is an Asian aquatic moth in the family Crambidae, first described from southeast Asia in 1880. The species has established adventive populations in North America (first recorded Florida 1976), Central America (Panama), Africa, and Europe (United Kingdom). Larvae are aquatic and feed on submerged macrophytes, with documented development on Hydrilla verticillata, Chara vulgaris, Ottelia alismoides, Blyxa auberti, and Cyperus rotundus. Despite early interest as a biological control agent for invasive hydrilla, its generalist feeding habits precluded intentional release.
Petrophila daemonalis
Devil's River Petrophila
Petrophila daemonalis is a small moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1907 (published 1908). The species is known from Texas, where it inhabits riparian environments associated with the Devils River. The common name reflects this association. As a member of the subfamily Acentropinae, it belongs to a group of crambid moths often associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats.
Petrophila fulicalis
Feather-edged Petrophila
Petrophila fulicalis is a crambid moth described by James Brackenridge Clemens in 1860. It belongs to a species group that has been taxonomically clarified using citizen science data, distinguishing it from similar species P. confusalis and P. bella. Adults are diurnal and often found near running water. The species has a broad North American distribution with two distinct population centers: eastern records from the Great Lakes and Appalachian regions, and western records from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Petrophila hodgesi
Ozark Petrophila
Petrophila hodgesi is a moth species in the family Crambidae, first described by Eugene G. Munroe in 1972. It belongs to the subfamily Acentropinae, a group commonly known as aquatic crambid snout moths due to their association with freshwater habitats. The species is endemic to the Ozark region of the south-central United States, with confirmed records from Arkansas and Oklahoma. The specific epithet honors Ronald W. Hodges, a prominent American lepidopterist who contributed significantly to the classification of North American microlepidoptera.
Petrophila longipennis
Long-winged Petrophila
Petrophila longipennis is a moth species in the family Crambidae, subfamily Acentropinae. It was described by George Hampson in 1906 based on specimens from Mexico. The species is known from only a handful of observations, with limited biological information available. Like other members of Petrophila, it is likely associated with aquatic or riparian habitats, though this has not been directly documented for this species.
Samea multiplicalis
salvinia stem-borer moth
Samea multiplicalis is an aquatic moth native to the Americas, ranging from the southern United States to Argentina, and introduced to Australia in 1981 as a biological control agent for invasive water ferns. Adults are small, tan moths with darker wing markings and a wingspan of approximately 20 mm. The species completes its entire life cycle on or near aquatic host plants, with larvae feeding internally on stems and externally on leaves, often causing plant death. High rates of parasitism by native wasps and flies limit its effectiveness as a weed control agent in introduced ranges.