Prodoxus
Guides
Prodoxidae
Yucca Moths and Allies
Prodoxidae is a family of small, primitive monotrysian moths within the superfamily Adeloidea. The family includes approximately 90 described species across 12 genera, with members distributed primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. While some species such as the currant shoot borer (Lampronia capitella) are minor agricultural pests, the family is best known for the yucca moths—genera Tegeticula, Parategeticula, and Prodoxus—which exhibit one of the most extensively studied obligate pollination mutualisms in evolutionary biology. Female yucca moths possess unique tentacle-like mouthpart modifications for active pollen collection and intentional pollination of their host plants. The family occupies a basal phylogenetic position within Lepidoptera, making it significant for understanding the early evolution of the order.