Parapoynx allionealis
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Parapoynx allionealis, the watermilfoil leafcutter moth, is a moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Francis Walker in 1859. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Quebec, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Adults have been recorded on wing year round in the southern part of the range. The larvae feed on various aquatic plants, including Nymphaea odorata, Potamogeton natans, Potamogeton pusillus, Myriophyllum spicatum, Myriophyllum heterophyllum, Hydrochtoa caroliniensis, Eleocharis vivipara, Utricularia inflata and Salvinia rotundifolia. They live in a portable case made of plant material. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Watermilfoil Leafcutter Moth sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 40 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 28th 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 and July
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Watermilfoil Leafcutter Moth in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against under 5% in September and October, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Watermilfoil Leafcutter Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Watermilfoil Leafcutter Moth sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Everglades National Park (United States, about 10%) and Padre Island National Seashore (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Parapoynx
The closest relatives of the Watermilfoil Leafcutter Moth that you can see in Big Cypress National Preserve (genus Parapoynx) are Polymorphic Pondweed Moth (about 10%), Floating-Heart Waterlily Moth (about 10%) and Hydrilla Leafcutter Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Watermilfoil Leafcutter Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (40 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.
