Elophila obliteralis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Waterlily Leafcutter Moth sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 229 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 84th most-seen of the 1057 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March to November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Waterlily Leafcutter Moth in Houston on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, 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.
Among the best
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Waterlily Leafcutter Moth sightings, Houston ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Dallas (United States, about 10%) and Austin (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Waterlily Leafcutter Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Houston (229 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.
