76 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 255 



Comparative Zoology. Lectotype (Hyponomeuta [sic] paradoxica, 

 designated by present author), cf, Chambers, Colo., Pronuba yuc- 

 casella; in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Deposition 

 uncertain, probably in the U.S. National Museum (syn types, Prodoxus 

 decipiens) . 



Type localities. — Bosque Co., Tex. (lectotype, Hyponomeuta 

 [sic] 5-punctella) . "Nine miles north of Colorado Springs and thence 

 5 miles east of the mountains, Colorado" (lectotype, Hyponomeuta 

 [sic] paradoxica). Bluff ton, S.C. (syn types, Prodoxus decipiens). 



Recorded hosts. — "Yucca arizonica McKelvey, Y. arkansana 

 Trelease, Y. angustissima Engelmann, Y. baccata Torrey, Y. campestris 

 McKelvey, Y. constricta Buckley, Y. elata Engelmann, Y. jaxoniana 

 (Trelease) Sargent, Y. glauca Nuttall, Y. harrimaniae Trelease, Y. 

 intermedia McKelvey, Y. pallida McKelvey, Y. rupicola Scheele, 

 Y. standleyi McKelvey, Y. utahensis McKelvey" (McKelvey, 1947) ; 

 "Y. aloijolia Linnaeus, Y . filamentosa Linnaeus, Y. gloriosa Linnaeus" 

 (Riley, 1880a, 1892a). Larva bores in fruit and flower stalks of 

 host. 



Parasites. — "Braconidae: Heterospilus prodoxi (RUey)" (Riley, 

 1880c). "Eury tomidae : Eudecatoma flammineiventris (Girault, 1920)" 

 and "Ichneumonidae: Calliephialtes notandus (Cresson)" (Riley, 1877). 

 Distribution (map 8). — The range of this common species closely 

 corresponds to that of Tegeticula yuccasella. It occurs widely 

 over most of the United States from Massachusetts to Florida and 

 west to the Rocky Mountains, where it ranges from south central 

 Montana to southern California. Prodoxus guinquepunctellus has 

 been collected in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, and is also believed 

 to occur in Baja California. 



Discussion. — A determination of the types for the various names 

 used for this species was not an easy task, largely because of the care- 

 less manner in which the names were first proposed. Lectotypes were 

 selected for two of the names, including the senior synonym, but a 

 selection for the third name, P. decipiens, proved impossible due to 

 the absence of properly designated syntypic material. 



In his original description of Hyponomeuta [sic] 5-punctella, Cham- 

 bers (1875) gave no indication of type designation, nor did he state 

 the number of specimens upon which his diagnosis was based. In a 

 later paper (1878b) he stated that the species was described from 

 eight specimens collected in Texas. Through the courtesy of Drs. 

 P. J. Darlington and H. E. Evans, the present WTiter was able to 

 examine one of these specimens and has designated it as lectotype. 

 Several of the moths originally identified by Chambers (1877a) as 

 Pronuba yuccasella were later described conditionally by him (1878b, 

 p. 149) as Hyponomeuta [sic] paradoxica: ". . . if it is a Hyponomeuta, 



