Elophila obliteralis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Waterlily Leafcutter Moth sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 505th most-seen of the 978 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Waterlily Leafcutter Moth in Chicago on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
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.
13th of 14
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Waterlily Leafcutter Moth sightings, Chicago ranks 13th at under 5%. The best odds are in Dallas (United States, about 10%), Austin (United States, about 10%) and Houston (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Crambidae
The closest relatives of the Waterlily Leafcutter Moth that you can see in Chicago (family Crambidae, Crambid Snout Moths) are Celery Leaftier Moth (about 10%), Lucerne Moth (about 10%) and Elegant Grass-Veneer (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 Chicago (17 verified sightings), 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.
