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U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 255 



northern states. Representatives of all genera except Mesepiola have 

 been collected there and undoubtedly the range of M. specca extends 

 into Sonora and perhaps Chihuahua. Five species (including one 

 endemic) are known from Mexico and more can be expected; the total 

 number, however, probably will never exceed a dozen or so, at least 

 not for the yucca feeding species, due to the lack of diversity of Yucca 

 in this area. The genus Agave, in contrast, has speciated far more and 

 may yield several new species of agave moths. 



No records of Prodoxinae have been reported from the West Indies, 

 although potential hosts are present. Yucca aloifolia is known from 

 several of the islands, especially of the greater Antilles, but may not 

 be extensively naturalized. Of more significance is the genus Agave 

 which is represented by several species native to the West Indies. 

 Consequently, at least some species of yucca moths, or more hkely 

 agave moths, may be discovered in this region eventually. 



Because the distribution of these insects is less thoroughly known 

 than that of the hosts to which they are restricted, distributional 

 data of the plant hosts should prove meaningful in illustrating the 

 general, or potential, geographic range of the Prodoxinae. Two maps 

 are provided: One to show the possible distribution of yucca moths 

 (i.e., the genus Yucca), and a second to indicate the possible occurrence 

 of agave moths (i.e., the genus Agave). The data was summarized 

 from several pubhshed sources and from specimens in the National 



Map 1. — Distribution of the genus Yucca (the northern limits of this genus are extended 

 here to conform with the known distribution of the yucca moths). 



