A prehistoric species of water lettuce, previously assigned to the genus Pistia.
Adults and larvae of the South American weevil Neohydronomous affinis feed on Pistia leaves, and the larvae of moth Spodoptera pectinicornis from Thailand.
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Its native distribution is uncertain, but probably pantropical; it was first discovered from the Nile near Lake Victoria in Africa.
Suchindram pond has a large variety of aquatic vegetation including water lilly, lotus, floating hearts, pistia and other water plants.
Larvae have been recorded feeding on Colocasia antiquorum and Ludwigia species in southern China, Colocasia esculenta in Japan, Ludwigia repens and Boerhavia species in India and numerous other hostplants from elsewhere, including Arum, Caladium, Pistia, Kochia, Ipomoea, Boerhavia, Ludwigia, Rosa and Trapa species.