Image of Prodoxus decipiens

Description:

This thing was spotted on a Night Hike I helped lead out at the Southwest Nature Preserve. This guy was snow white and very small. This was a very special sighting. I have done a lot of research on these guys. These moths are the soul pollinators of Yucca plants. There are different subspecies and each one has it's own Yucca to pollinate. When laying her egg; The female Yucca Moth will lay her eggs in the ovary of the plant. The ovary then makes a seed that surrounds the egg of the moth. The Caterpillar with then hatch and then feed on one section of seeds. The Yucca pod is like a star inside with several columns of seeds inside. the seeds are very thin with a kind of husk on them. The caterpillar with chew through that and then eventually the seed will burst and then the caterpillar will burrow underground and make it's cocoon and then emerge as an adult. They are very pretty moths and one of my absolute favorites. These guys have a very special place in my heart. their antenna are tiny and stick out to the side. They also have tiny yellow feet. These things feed on one of the most endangered plants of all. They are a threatened plant and their survival rests with this moths to pollinate it and keep it growing. These moths and the Yucca have a symbiotic relationship and I was able to see it first hand last year.