yucca moth

noun

1. any of several white moths of the genus Tegeticula that pollinate the yucca plant, the larvae of which develop in the ovary of the plant, consuming some of the seeds.

Word History and Origins

Origin of yucca moth¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

The researchers looked at both the eastern and western Joshua trees, which have some differences — for instance, each is pollinated by a different species of yucca moth — but also hybridize and occupy overlapping climates, as the study notes.

From Los Angeles Times

On the other hand, Joshua trees rely solely on the yucca moth for pollination.

From Los Angeles Times

Chaparral yucca are crucial in that they provide so much culture to Indigenous peoples, but one culture cannot be ignored, and that is the symbiotic relationship with the yucca moth, the only pollinator that can give this plant its afterlife of seed and continuance.

From Los Angeles Times

Chaparral yucca are crucial in that they provide so much culture to Indigenous peoples, but one culture cannot be ignored and that is the symbiotic relationship with the yucca moth, the only pollinator that can give this plant its afterlife of seed and continuance.

From Los Angeles Times

And they depend on a single pollinator, the snow-furred, aeronautically challenged yucca moth.

From New York Times