order
                        
                      
                                    Coleoptera
                                       “Adult Beetles”
                                  
                                    Coleoptera
                                       “Larval Beetles”
                                  
                                    Diptera
                                       “True Flies”
                                  
                                    Ephemeroptera
                                       “Mayflies”
                                  
                                    Hemiptera
                                       “True Bugs”
                                  
                                    Lepidoptera
                                       “Aquatic Caterpillars, Snout Moths”
                                  
                                    Megaloptera
                                       “Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies”
                                  
                                    Odonata
                                       “Dragonflies and Damselflies”
                                  
                                    Plecoptera
                                       “Stoneflies”
                                  
                                    Trichoptera
                                       “Caddisflies”
                                 genus
                     Parapoynx
            
                  “Aquatic Caterpillars, Snout Moths”
               
      Genus Overview
                  
               
                        There are 7 North American species of this genus. Larvae of Parapoynx feed on pondweed (Potamogeton), watermilfoil (Myriophyllum), waterhyssop (Bacopa), eelgrass/tape grass (Vallisneria), and broadleaf plants such as yellow water-lily (Nuphar), water lily (Nymphaea), water-shield (Brasenia), floating-heart (Nymphoides), golden-club (Orontium), and other freshwater species. They often cut circular pieces from the edges of broadleaf species to cover themselves while feeding on the tops of the leaves, other times drilling from the top of the stem downward. Pupation occurs in a silk-lined chamber under the leaf patch or in the plant stem.
                  
               Characteristics
                  
               POLLUTION TOLERANCE
                        Mid-Atlantic: up to 5
                              0 = least tolerant, 10 = most tolerant
                        FEEDING HABITS
                        
                                 Shredder / Herbivore
                        
                     MOVEMENT
                        
                                 Burrower
Climber
Swimmer
                        
                     Climber
Swimmer
DISTRIBUTION
                        
                                 Widespread (east of the Rocky Mtns.)
                        
                     HABITAT
                        
                                 Lentic-littoral
                        
                     Diagnostic Characters
               order
                         
                                       
                                       
                                    Abdominal Prolegs
                                  
                                       
                                       
                                    Short Legs
                                 family
                         
                                       
                                       
                                    2 Setae in Front of Each Lateral Spiracle
                                  
                                       
                                       
                                    Prolegs on 3-6 with Crochets
                                 genus
                         
                                       
                                       
                                    Branched Gills
                                 
                  + Expanded Character List
                  
                     
               
            
                        Order:
                           Caterpillars with wings and wing pads absent. Eye spots usually present, but compound eyes absent. Short segmented legs present on thorax, not as long as abdomen. Underside of abdomen with several pairs of prolegs (fleshy nubs) with tiny hooks.
                     
                     
                        Family:
                           Ventral prolegs present on abdominal segments 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10. Segmented thoracic legs present. Gills sometimes present on sides of abdomen. Prolegs with crochets (tiny hooks) in transverse ellipses or bands.
                     
                     
                        Genus:
                           Body with filamentous gills, all branched.
                     
                   
                   
            Lateral
               Ventral
               


