Bug FAQPondside Crambid Moth
Elophila icciusalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Also called: Pondside Pyralid Moth, Pondside Pyralid
The pondside crambid moth has a wingspan of about 16 to 26 mm. It lives across most of North America, and the adults fly from June through September. Its larvae are aquatic and eat plants such as Menyanthes, duckweed, eelgrass, pondweed and sedges.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Elophila icciusalis, known as the pondside pyralid moth, belongs to the family Crambidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan ranges from 16 to 26 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found throughout most of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from June to September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period spans the summer months, June through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes most of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is a member of the Crambidae family, like other pondside pyralid moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 37 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Vermont, Florida, Maryland, New Hampshire, Connecticut.
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
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_icciusalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.