Elophila obliteralis
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Elophila obliteralis, the waterlily leafcutter moth, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. It was described by Francis Walker in 1859. It is native to eastern North America. It is an introduced species in Hawaii and South Africa.
The wingspan is 10–22 mm with the male being smaller than the female. Adults are on wing from May to August in North America. The larvae feed on a wide range of aquatic plants, including Hydrilla verticillata, Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes, Nymphaea and Potamogeton species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Waterlily Leafcutter Moth sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 37 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 27th most-seen of the 262 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Waterlily Leafcutter Moth in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against under 5% in September and October, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Waterlily Leafcutter Moth sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Waterlily Leafcutter Moth sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Everglades National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Elophila
The closest relatives of the Waterlily Leafcutter Moth that you can see in Big Cypress National Preserve (genus Elophila) are Waterlily Borer Moth (about 10%) and Nebulous Munroessa (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Waterlily Leafcutter Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (37 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
