Hygraula nitens, the pond moth or Australian water moth, is a moth of the family Crambidae. It was described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1880. It is found in New Zealand[2] and most of Australia, including Tasmania.

Hygraula nitens
Hygraula nitens photographed in Aranda, Australia
Hygraula nitens photographed in Aranda, Australia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Crambidae
Genus: Hygraula
Species:
H. nitens
Binomial name
Hygraula nitens
(Butler, 1880)[1]
Synonyms

The wingspan is about 25 mm.

The caterpillars of this species live underwater. The larvae feed on Potamogeton crispus and Zostera species.[3] They also feed on other alien macrophytes such as Hydrilla verticillata, Lagarosiphon major, and Ceratophyllum demersum.[4]

References

edit
  1. ^ "GlobIZ search". Global Information System on Pyraloidea. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
  2. ^ "NZOR (Web Service Demonstrator)". Archived from the original on 2013-02-23. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
  3. ^ Don Herbison-Evans & Stella Crossley (February 17, 2008). "Hygraula nitens". uts.edu.au. Archived from the original on August 1, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  4. ^ Redekop, Petra; Gross, Elisabeth M.; Nuttens, Andréïna; Hofstra, Deborah E.; Clayton, John S.; Hussner, Andreas (2016-04-18). "Hygraula nitens, the only native aquatic caterpillar in New Zealand, prefers feeding on an alien submerged plant". Hydrobiologia. 812 (1): 13–25. doi:10.1007/s10750-016-2709-7. ISSN 0018-8158.