Minnesota Seasons - Chestnut-marked Pondweed Moth

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy

Hodges #

4761

Photo by Scott Bemman

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Description

Chestnut-marked pondweed moth is a small aquatic crambid moth. It occurs in northern United States from the East Coast to Minnesota and Iowa, and in adjacent Canadian provinces. Adults are found from May to September around ponds and lake shores with emergent aquatic plants and in marshes. Larvae are aquatic and feed on pondweed.

Adults are 5⁄16″ to ½″ (8 to 12 mm) long and have a wingspan of about ¾″ (20 mm). The wings broad and are held spread out when at rest. They are white with bold black bands and a golden-yellow marginal band.

Size

Total length: 5⁄16″ to ½″ (8 to 12 mm)

Wingspan: about ¾″ (20 mm)

Similar Species

Habitat

Marshes, ponds, and lake shores

Ecology

Season

May to September

Behavior

Adults will come to light. The wings are held spread out when at rest.

Life Cycle

Larva Hosts

Pondweed (Potamogeton spp.)

Adult Food

Distribution
		Sources 21, 24, 29, 30, 71, 75, 82, 83. Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 9/12/2025).
9/12/2025

Occurrence
Common

Taxonomy
Order	Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)
Superfamily	Pyraloidea (pyralid and crambid snout moths)
Family	Crambidae (crambid snout moths)
Subfamily	Acentropinae (aquatic crambids)
Tribe	Nymphulini
Genus	Parapoynx

Subordinate Taxa


Synonyms
Cymoriza badiusalis Nymphula badiusalis Parapoynx albalis Paraponyx badiusalis

Common Names
chestnut-marked pondweed moth