Prodoxus sordidus
Olle PellmyrAdult Characteristics
Wing expanse 8-14 mm. Forewing uniformly cream to dark tan, without pattern. Hindwings usually a somewhat darker shade, gray.
Comparison with Similar Species
No described species is similar, but two species are compiled under this name (Frack 1982). Diagnostic traits to distinguish between them have not been published.
Host, Oviposition, and Larval Feeding Habits
Only from Yucca brevifolia, the Joshua Tree. Larva is said to bore in fleshy parts of the fruit (Davis 1967).
Geographic Distribution
Throughout the range of Yucca brevifolia: Mojave desert in SE California, NW Arizona, and S Nevada.
Habitat
In shrub desert with Yucca brevifolia; a striking habitat photograph is provided by U2 (1987).
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.
U2. 1987. The Joshua Tree. Island Records Inc., New York.
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University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
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Pellmyr, Olle. 1996. Prodoxus sordidus http://tolweb.org/Prodoxus_sordidus/12432/1996.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
. Version 01 January 1996 (under construction).