VOLUME 63, NUMBER 3 137 Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society 63(3), 2009,137–140 PRODOXUS PRAEDICTUS, N. SP., A NEW BOGUS YUCCA MOTH FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OLLE PELLMYR, Department of Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-3051, USA; email:
[email protected] JEREMY B. YODER, Department of Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-3051, USA AND WILLIAM K. GODSOE Department of Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-3051, USA ABSTRACT. Fruits of most fleshy-fruited yuccas host non-pollinating bogus yucca moths. A peculiar exception has been the widespread and abundant Yucca schidigera Roezl ex Ortgies (mojave yucca), where extensive search has failed to document a resident species. Here we re- port on the discovery of this predicted taxon, Prodoxus praedictus n. sp., from a small geographic area in southern California, provide a formal description and results of a phylogenetic analysis, and information on species biology. Additional key words: Prodoxidae, Agavaceae, mutualism The pollinating yucca moths (Tegeticula Zeller and to identify all moth species. The number has accrued Parategeticula Davis; Prodoxidae) are perhaps the most with several studies (e.g., Davis 1967, Powell 1984, widely recognized monotrysian moths, based on their Pellmyr et al. 2006), such that virtually all known obligate pollination mutualism with yuccas (Riley 1872, feeding sites of prodoxids on all yucca species have been 1892, Powell & Mackie 1966, Davis 1967, Powell 1984, checked in the field. A puzzling observation has been 1992, Pellmyr 2003). Containing at least 27 species the failure to find a fruit-feeding Prodoxus on Yucca (Davis 1967, Pellmyr et al.