Insects and Flowers 



;oi 



not only the palps of the first maxillse developed, 



but the region of the maxillae (palpiger) whence 



they spring produced into a pair of long flexible 



hairy processes (fig. 162 b). By means of these 



she collects (fig. 161) from the anthers pollen, 



which she deliberately carries to the stigma to ensure 



fertilisation. With her piercing ovipositor (fig. 162J) 



— a most abnormal development among moths — she 



bores through the tissue of the pistil and by means of 



the flexible 



e g g - t u b e, 



protrusibi e 



beyond the 



ovipositor, 



lays her egg 



close to the 



ovules of the 



Yucca. The 



cater pill ar 



when hatched 



feeds on the 



growing seed 



of the plant, 



which would 



never develop 



were it not 



for the action 



of the Pro- 



nuba moth. This action is most wonderful, in that 



the moth herself gets no benefit from it. Her food 



canal is degenerate, and her jaws, useless for sucking, 



are devoted altogether to the gathering of the pollen; 



she does not feed in the perfect state. Doubtless her 



ancestors did so and were first attracted to the Yucca 



in search of honey, though the act of pollination is now 



performed only for the sake of the offspring (178 a). 



Fig. 162. — Yucca Moth {Pronuba). a. Head of female, 

 the pollen ball (i) is held by the palpigers (2) of the 

 ist maxillffi whose galeae (3) and palps (4) are shown ; 

 b. palpiger and palp, highly magnified ; c. spine of 

 palpiger, still more enlarged ; d. palp separated ; /. 

 front leg ; g. palp of 2nd maxilla ; h. neuration of 

 forewing ; i. of hindwing ; /. tip of abdomen with 

 ovipositor. From Riley, Insect Life, vol. 4, U.S. 

 Dept. Agr. 



