Overview
Brief Summary
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.
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Comprehensive Description
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.
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Distribution
National Distribution
Canada
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
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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.
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Physical Description
Morphology
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.
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Ecology
Habitat
Habitat
In desert, grassland, openings in pine or deciduous forest, or coastal chaparral and dunes with Yucca.
Shrubby grassland in Comanche Co., Texas, and a cleared area in Lowndes Co., Mississippi, represent two typical habitats of host yuccas.
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Habitat
In desert, grassland, openings in pine or deciduous forest, or coastal chaparral and dunes with Yucca.
Shrubby grassland in Comanche Co., Texas, and a cleared area in Lowndes Co., Mississippi, represent two typical habitats of host yuccas.
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Life History and Behavior
Life Cycle
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.
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Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Barcode data: Prodoxus quinquepunctellus
There is 1 barcode sequence available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is the sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species. See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen. Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.
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Download FASTA File
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Statistics of barcoding coverage: Prodoxus quinquepunctellus
Public Records: 1
Species: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1
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Conservation
Conservation Status
National NatureServe Conservation Status
Canada
Rounded National Status Rank: N1 - Critically Imperiled
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Wikipedia
Prodoxus quinquepunctellus
Prodoxus quinquepunctellus is a moth of the Prodoxidae family. It is found from southern Alberta to the Mexican Plateau of northern Mexico. The habitat consists of desert, grassland, openings in pine or deciduous forests and coastal chaparral and dunes.
The wingspan is 12-23 mm. The forewings are mostly pure white, but sometimes have one to fourteen small spots. The hindwings range from grey to near white, but are always darker than the forewings.[1]
The larvae feed on a wide range of capsular-fruited Yucca species. They feed inside the inflorescence stalk. Pupation takes place inside the gallery.
References
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Prodoxus quinquepunctellus |
| Wikispecies has information related to: Prodoxus quinquepunctellus |
| This article relating to the Incurvarioidea superfamily is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
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