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Summary: Phylogeographic Structure in the Bogus Yucca Moth Prodoxus
quinquepunctellus (Prodoxidae): Comparisons with
Coexisting Pollinator Yucca Moths
David M. Althoff,1
Joshua D. Groman,2
Kari A. Segraves, and Olle Pellmyr
Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235
Received January 31, 2001; revised April 13, 2001
The pollination mutualism between yucca moths
and yuccas highlights the potential importance of host
plant specificity in insect diversification. Historically,
one pollinator moth species, Tegeticula yuccasella,
was believed to pollinate most yuccas. Recent phylo-
genetic studies have revealed that it is a complex of at
least 13 distinct species, eight of which are specific to
one yucca species. Moths in the closely related genus
Prodoxus also specialize on yuccas, but they do not
pollinate and their larvae feed on different plant
parts. Previous research demonstrated that the geo-
graphically widespread Prodoxus quinquepunctellus
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