Synclita obliteralis (Walker), the waterlily leafcutter

Members of the pyralid subfamily Nymphulinae have aquatic larvae. Of the more than twenty nymphuline species occurring in Florida, Synclita obliteralis (Walker) is the most common. While its common name implies that it is a pest of waterlilies, it has a wide host range. However, most of the damage it does is superficial and rarely endangers the plant The caterpillar of this moth is sometimes referred to as “the sandwich man” due to its habit of living between two pieces of leaf it has cut from its host plant (Fig. 1).