REVISION OF MOTHS OF PRODOXINAE 53 



I have selected the above specimen, which bears a Riley locahty 

 label, as lectotype. Furthermore, the same specimen had been 

 selected as a type much earUer by August Busck. Even though 

 Busck's unpublished designation was not valid, this specimen probably 

 was regarded by subsequent investigators as typical of the species, 

 due to the type label it bore. 



Variation. — Tegeticida yuccasella occurs commonly over a major 

 part of the North American continent; thus it would not be unusual 

 to encounter a certain degree of morphological variation in such a 

 widely distributed insect; however, the amount of variation observed 

 in the species has proven to be much greater than expected for any 

 member of this group of Lepidoptera. Comparable deviations of so 

 many characters were not observed in the similarly widespread 

 species, Prodoxus guinquepunctellus, nor in any other species of the 

 Prodoxinae. 



More than one biological entity may be present within the moths 

 ciu-rently recognized as T. yuccasella. Additional study, involving 

 adequate sampling techniques and the analysis of several characters, 

 will be necessary before this problem can be resolved. Approximately 

 1220 specimens of T. yuccasella were examined in the course of this 

 study; most of these, unfortunately, could not be treated statistically 

 because of the paucity of representative populations, or because of 

 insufficient host information, which apparently is essential for the 

 understanding of the overall problem. A few characters have been 

 treated superficaUy in this study and are discussed briefly on the 

 follomng pages. The writer fully intends to pursue these lines of 

 investigation further until a more adequate understanding of this 

 species is attained. 



The female genitalia present variances which may or may not 

 have taxonomic significance. The subapical region of the ovipositor 

 normally possesses a small, serrated dorsal ridge (fig. 154) that is 

 characteristic for the species. Occasionally the height of the ridge 

 may vary, but the presence of serrations appears constant. In 

 four females of T. mexicana (holotype and three paratypes) from the 

 Mexican state of San Luis Potosi, the ovipositor ridge was much 

 reduced. In a specimen of T. yuccasella collected farther south 

 (Tehuacan, Puebla) the ridge was more developed, as was the con- 

 dition in nearly all females examined from the United States. Because 

 no other significant differences have been established for T. mexicana, 

 that species has been treated as a synonym of T. yuccasella. 



The diameter of the signum also is not constant, with some fe- 

 males havmg a much larger pair than others. Contrary to what is 

 known concernmg the relative development of the ovipositor ridge, 

 the size of the signum seems to be correlated with other morphological 



