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 Everglades National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 173rd most-seen of the 496 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.
April, June, August–September and November–January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Waterlily Leafcutter Moth in Everglades National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–March, May, July 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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Waterlily Leafcutter Moth sightings, Everglades National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 20%).
Same genus: Elophila
The closest relatives of the Waterlily Leafcutter Moth that you can see in Everglades National Park (genus Elophila) are Nebulous Munroessa (about 10%) and Waterlily Borer Moth (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 Everglades National Park (18 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.
