Non-pollinating
Guides
Prodoxus
Bogus Yucca Moths
Prodoxus is a genus of moths in the family Prodoxidae comprising approximately 22 species, commonly known as bogus yucca moths. Unlike their pollinating relatives in the genus Tegeticula, Prodoxus species are non-pollinating yucca moths that exploit yucca plants as hosts without providing mutualistic services. The genus exhibits diverse feeding specializations, with larvae feeding on yucca flowering stalks, fruits, or leaves depending on the species. Host-associated divergence and incipient speciation have been documented, with specialization closely tied to host plant shifts.
Prodoxus coloradensis
Prodoxus coloradensis is a small yucca moth in the family Prodoxidae, distributed across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Unlike its pollinating relatives, this species is a commensalist herbivore that feeds on yucca flowering stalks without providing pollination service. The species exhibits host-associated genetic divergence and incipient speciation across its three known host plants, with evidence of female philopatry and sex-biased dispersal.
Prodoxus decipiens
Bogus Yucca Moth
Prodoxus decipiens is a bogus yucca moth (family Prodoxidae) that specializes on Yucca host plants. Unlike mutualistic yucca moths, this species does not pollinate its host but instead lays eggs in flowering stalks where larvae develop internally. Host use is constrained by both ecological availability and intrinsic host plant characteristics; larvae successfully complete development only on specific Yucca species. The species exhibits strong host specialization, with populations typically associated with particular Yucca hosts such as Yucca filamentosa.
Sycoscapter
Sycoscapter is a genus of non-pollinating fig wasps first described by Saunders in 1883. These wasps are native to the Afrotropical, Indomalayan, and Australasian biogeographic realms. They function as parasitoids, specifically targeting fig wasps in the genera Ceratosolen, Eupristina, and Kradibia. As members of the family Pteromalidae, they represent one of many lineages involved in the complex ecological networks associated with fig trees (Ficus).