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Tegeticula treculeanella Pellmyr

Olle Pellmyr
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Containing group: Tegeticula

Adult Characteristics

Wing expanse 19.5-29.5 mm. Forewing white, hindwing brownish gray. Male genitalia with aedeagus 1.65-1.8 mm long, 0.04 mm in cross section; female genitalia with posterior apophyses 5.7-5.8 mm long, large corpus bursae with signa 0.65-0.80 mm in diameter.

Comparison with Similar Species

Similar in forewing coloration to other members of the yuccasella complex, but readily distinguished from other members of the complex based on genitalic characters. A diagnostic key is provided.

Host, Oviposition, and Larval Feeding Habits

The species is known from the fleshy-fruited yucca Y. treculeana, including Y. torreyi Females oviposit into flowers (Pellmyr 1999). Eggs are laid inside the ovary, between the wall and the ovules, generally in the upper portion.The larva feeds on developing seeds. Pupation occurs in a cocoon in the soil.

Geographic Distribution

The known range includes parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Coahuila.

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Habitat

Characteristic habitat is desert flats and low slopes in the Chihuahuan desert, and open shrubland and grassland in coastal regions. Altitudinal range 0 - 1350 m.

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Shrubby deserts in Brewster Co., Texas, and Dona Ana Co., New Mexico, represent typical habitats of host yuccas.

Type

Holotype in USNM.

References

Pellmyr, O. 1999. Systematic revision of the Tegeticula yuccasella complex (Lepidoptera: Prodoxidae) north of Mexico. Systematic Entomology 24:243-271.

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Tegeticula treculeanella
Location Cameron Co, Texas, USA
Specimen Condition Dead Specimen
Sex male (left), female (right)
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 Tegeticula treculeanella Pellmyr. 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. Tegeticula treculeanella Pellmyr. Version 01 January 1996 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Tegeticula_treculeanella/12455/1996.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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