Bug FAQCanadian Petrophila
Petrophila canadensis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Also called: Canadian Petrophila Moth
The Canadian Petrophila has a wingspan of about 11 to 18 mm. It lives in North America, recorded from southern Canada and the northeastern United States. Its aquatic larvae eat diatoms such as Navicula and Cymbella, and also feed on algae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 11 to 18 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in southern Canada and the northeastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae are aquatic and feed on diatoms like Navicula and Cymbella, as well as other algae.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species overwinters in the adult stage.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May through September, producing two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to North America, specifically southern Canada and the northeastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 24 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, North Carolina, Kentucky, Wisconsin.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
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/Petrophila_canadensis
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.