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Prodoxus quinquepunctellus (Chambers)

Olle Pellmyr
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Containing group: Prodoxus

Adult Characteristics

Wing expanse 12-23 mm. Forewing pure white or with 1-14 small spots, rarely forming streaks. Hindwings ranging from gray to near white, but always darker than the forewing.

Comparison with Similar Species

Some members of the Tegeticula yuccasella complex may be confused with larger individuals of this species. Prodoxus is generally less robust and typically smaller. The female has a far thicker ovipositor than does yuccasella. The male, which has very large valvae, lacks the pollex and instead has numerous blunt spines along the valval edge.

Host, Oviposition, and Larval Feeding Habits

The species utilizes many capsular-fruited yuccas (Agavaceae). Larvae feed inside the inflorescence stalk, and pupation takes place inside the gallery. A few records from fleshy-fruited yuccas were assumed by Frack (1982) to have resulted from mislabelling.

Geographic Distribution

Prodoxus quinquepunctellus occurs throughout the composite range of its capsular-fruited hosts, including areas where the hosts have been introduced. the northern limit is most likely in southern Alberta, Canada, and the southern limit on the Mexican Plateau of northern Mexico.

Habitat

In desert, grassland, openings in pine or deciduous forest, or coastal chaparral and dunes with Yucca.

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Shrubby grassland in Comanche Co., Texas, and a cleared area in Lowndes Co., Mississippi, represent two typical habitats of host yuccas.

Type

Lectotype in MCZ.

References

Davis, D.R. 1967. A revision of the moths of the subfamily Prodoxinae (Lepidoptera: Incurvariidae). U.S. Nat. Hist. Mus., Bull. 255:1-170. Smiths. Contrib. Zool. 524:1-88.

Frack, D.C. 1982. A systematic study of prodoxine moths (Adelidae: Prodoxinae) and their hosts (Agavaceae), with descriptions of the subfamilies of Adelidae (s. lat.). M.S. thesis, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA.

Title Illustrations
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Location Brewster Co., Texas
Specimen Condition Dead Specimen
Sex Male
Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0.
Copyright © 1996
Scientific Name Prodoxus quinquepunctellus
Location Brewster Co., Texas, USA
Specimen Condition Dead Specimen
Sex Female
Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0.
Copyright © 1996
Scientific Name Prodoxus quinquepunctellus
Location Comanche Co., Texas, USA
Specimen Condition Dead Specimen
Sex Female
Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0.
Copyright © 1996
About This Page


University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA

Page: Tree of Life Prodoxus quinquepunctellus (Chambers). Authored by Olle Pellmyr. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.

Citing this page:

Pellmyr, Olle. 1996. Prodoxus quinquepunctellus (Chambers). Version 01 January 1996 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Prodoxus_quinquepunctellus/12428/1996.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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