325. Pondside Pyralid Moth

We were excited to find this attractive moth under our porch lights in August.  Leah had been working on assessing the status of all the Lepidoptera (Moths, Butterflies and Skippers) of British Columbia and we had read about this species (Elophila icciusalis), and were fascinated by the aquatic larvae portion of its life cycle.  The larvae feed on duckweed, Buckbean, pondweeds and aquatic sedges. Our pond now has a flourishing cover of (#253) Common Duckweed which we suspect has, in turn, attracted this species to take up residence on our property. 
BC records for adults of this species are from June and August. It is a member of the Crambidae family, or Snout-Moths.  Larvae and pupae are in cases made of aquatic vegetation, similar to those made by some caddisflies. The background colour  of the adult varies from tan to yellow to orange. 

​The Pondside Pyralid Moth is found across much of North America.