Bug FAQBlack Duckweed Moth
Elophila tinealis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
The Black Duckweed Moth lives in swamps and wet woods. It is found in North America, from Michigan, Ontario and New York down to Florida and west to Texas. Its larvae feed on duckweed (Lemna species).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Habitat: swamps and wet woods.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Diet: larvae feed on Lemna (duckweed) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native range: recorded in Michigan, Ontario, New York, Florida and Texas in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 34 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Louisiana, Michigan, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Connecticut, Florida.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where does the Black Duckweed Moth live?
It lives in swamps and wet woods across parts of North America, including Michigan, Ontario, New York, Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae of this moth eat?
The larvae feed on duckweed plants of the genus Lemna.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Elegant Grass-veneerMicrocrambus elegans
Hawaiian Beet Webworm MothSpoladea recurvalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden Grass-veneerChrysoteuchia culmellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bluegrass Webworm MothParapediasia teterrellusDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elophila_tinealis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.