Tegeticula maderae
Olle PellmyrAdult Characteristics
Wing expanse 15-21.5 mm. Forewing white, hindwing brownish gray alonf front edge, whiter in back portion. Male genitalia with aedeagus 1.70-1.95 mm long, 0.025-0.030 mm in cross section; female genitalia with posterior apophyses 6.2-7.3 mm long, corpus bursae with signa 0.6-0.8 mm in diameter.
Comparison with Similar Species
A smallish 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. schottii. Females oviposit into flowers (Davis 1967, Powell 1984). 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
So far only documented from the southern "sky islands" of SE Arizona.
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.
Powell, J.A. 1984. Biological interrelationships of moths and Yucca schottii. Univ. Calif. Publ. Entomol. 100:1-93.
About This Page
University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
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Pellmyr, Olle. 1996. Tegeticula maderae http://tolweb.org/Tegeticula_maderae/12458/1996.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
. Version 01 January 1996 (under construction).