About Parapoynx allionealis Walker, 1859
Parapoynx allionealis, commonly known as the watermilfoil leafcutter moth, is a species of moth belonging to the family Crambidae. This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1859. It is native to North America, and has been officially recorded in the following regions and states or provinces: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Quebec, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. In the southern portion of the species' North American range, adult moths can be found in flight throughout the entire year. The larvae of this moth feed on a wide variety of aquatic plant species. These include Nymphaea odorata, Potamogeton natans, Potamogeton pusillus, Myriophyllum spicatum, Myriophyllum heterophyllum, Hydrochtoa caroliniensis, Eleocharis vivipara, Utricularia inflata, and Salvinia rotundifolia. Parapoynx allionealis larvae construct and live inside a portable protective case that they build from pieces of plant material.
