Bug FAQAmerican Lotus Borer
Ostrinia penitalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Also called: American Lotus Borer Moth
The American lotus borer is a small moth with a wingspan of about 21 mm. Its larvae have brownish heads and feed on lotus (Nelumbo lutea) and various Polygonum plants. Adults are seen from May through September in the northern part of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The larvae have a brownish head.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan is roughly 21 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in marshes and along pond edges.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on the American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) and on species of Polygonum.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adult flight period runs from May through September in the northern part of its distribution.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 41 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Illinois, Missouri, Florida.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) and various Polygonum species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does this moth live?
It inhabits marshes and pond sides across Mexico, Central America, and the Amazonas region of Brazil.
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/Ostrinia_penitalis
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.