Yucca-moth
Guides
Mesepiola specca
Mesepiola specca is a small moth in the family Prodoxidae, a group known as yucca moths. It inhabits arid regions of the southwestern United States. The species was described by Davis in 1967 and remains poorly known due to limited observations.
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.
Prodoxus aenescens
Prodoxus aenescens is a small yucca moth in the family Prodoxidae, described by Riley in 1881. The species occurs in arid regions of southwestern North America where its larvae develop within Yucca whipplei. Adults are diminutive moths with wingspans of 9–15 mm. The species represents one of many specialized prodoxid moths that have coevolved with yucca plants.
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.
Prodoxus marginatus
Prodoxus marginatus is a small moth in the family Prodoxidae, endemic to California. It is the smallest species in the genus Prodoxus, with a wingspan of 8–12 mm. The species inhabits coastal chaparral and montane dry shrubby grassland habitats. Larvae feed on Yucca whipplei, indicating a specialized host relationship with this yucca species.
Prodoxus quinquepunctella
Five-spotted Bogus Yucca Moth
Prodoxus quinquepunctella is a small moth in the family Prodoxidae, commonly known as the Five-spotted Bogus Yucca Moth. Unlike true yucca moths (Tegeticula), it does not pollinate yucca plants but is an obligate herbivore on yucca. Its range spans from southern Alberta, Canada, to the Mexican Plateau in northern Mexico. The species has been documented in diverse habitats including desert, grassland, and forest openings.
Prodoxus sonorensis
Prodoxus sonorensis is a small yucca moth in the family Prodoxidae, described in 2005 by Pellmyr and Balcázar-Lara. The species occurs in a restricted range spanning southeastern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. Adults are active during mid-summer, with larvae developing within the fruit of Yucca schottii.
Prodoxus y-inversus
Prodoxus y-inversus is a small yucca moth in the family Prodoxidae, restricted to the southwestern United States. Adults are active in spring and possess a wingspan of 11–16 mm. The species is intimately associated with Yucca baccata and Yucca schottii, on which its larvae feed.
Tegeticula maculata
Chaparral yucca moth
Tegeticula maculata is a small moth in the family Prodoxidae, commonly known as the chaparral yucca moth. It is the sole pollinator of Hesperoyucca whipplei, forming an obligate mutualism in which the moth's larvae feed exclusively on developing seeds of this host plant. The species exhibits high genetic structure across its range with limited morphological divergence, suggesting ancient lineage sorting rather than recent speciation.
Tegeticula yuccasella
yucca moth, Eastern Yucca Moth
Tegeticula yuccasella is a small moth in the family Prodoxidae, first described by Charles Valentine Riley in 1872. It is the nominate species of the T. yuccasella species complex, a group of obligate pollinators of yucca plants (Yucca spp.). The moth engages in active pollination behavior unique among Lepidoptera: females collect pollen with specialized tentacle-like mouthparts and deliberately deposit it on yucca stigmas to ensure fruit set before laying eggs. Larvae feed exclusively on developing yucca seeds. Recent systematic revision has split this formerly broadly-defined species into multiple distinct species, with T. yuccasella sensu stricto associated primarily with eastern North American yucca hosts.