Yucca moth and trunking Yucca glauca

[seedscanada]

Some of us are wondering if the yucca moth is or is not in our area. I can confirm the yucca moth is in southern Ontario. In my yard at least..
Y. glauca June 24:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/9434769969/" title="Yucca glauca-20130620-00511 by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2828/9434 ... 6a7f_c.jpg" width="596" height="800" alt="Yucca glauca-20130620-00511"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/9434772295/" title="glauca yucca moth-20130624-00518 by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7312/9434 ... 550d_c.jpg" width="592" height="800" alt="glauca yucca moth-20130624-00518"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/9437550626/" title="glauca yucca moth-20130624-00517 by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3743/9437 ... febf_c.jpg" width="592" height="800" alt="glauca yucca moth-20130624-00517"></a>

Sometimes the moth's hard work is negated my the tiny beetles (in equal numbers here) that then EAT the pollinated flower bits. This is why there can be few if any seed pods here.:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/9434771995/" title="glauca yucca moth-20130624-00516 by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3761/9434 ... bbd4_c.jpg" width="800" height="596" alt="glauca yucca moth-20130624-00516"></a>

These shots were from the flower stalk of my trunking Yucca glauca, pictured here on June 20 2013:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/9437536340/" title="Yucca glauca-20130601-00384 by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3700/9437 ... 9b5d_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="Yucca glauca-20130601-00384"></a>

[DesertZone]

I wish someone would ship me some yucca moths.

[TimMAz6]

those beetles do more damage than just eating pollen......they lay larvae inside the flowers/pistol which eat the flower which quickly aborts. No seed pods = beetle damage. I finally found a bug spray which seems to kill the beetles (and some moths) but does not harm the flowers. It's a Bayer product. I have more seed pods this season than any other season.

Yucca constricta x filamentosa seed pods
<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... d34097.jpg>

[Henoh_Croatia]

Nice trunking Y. glauca! How far north the Yucca moths naturally go? Because in southern Ontario or Massachusetts, to my knowledge, is no native Yucca's.
@Tim, If I understand correctly, this Y. constricta x filamentosa is also moth pollinated?

[TimMAz6]

The Yucca moth is in our area. Here's a photo from my garden showing a flower with loads of them.

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... 420071.jpg>

We are kinda on the northern edge where Yuccas are common in the landscape. I've seen Yucca filamentosa/concava growing 'naturalized' as far north as Nasuha, New Hampshire. I'm not sure if Yucca is 'naturalized' here or 'native'. If I had to guess I would assume the native indians traded Yucca seeds/plants and the Yucca population expanded it's range into Massachusettts. The 'native' Yuccas around here have consticted seed pods and very small seed.

Here's a video I took of the Yuccas in Coventry, Rhode Island.

http://youtu.be/uwnvP0OGApk

[Henoh_Croatia]

Tim, thank you for answer. I found information that Yucca species (filamentosa/flaccida, gloriosa, recurvifolia, aloifolia) has been naturalized by European settlers also. Mostly Yucca sp. natarulized in eastern parts US, and southern parts of Canada. Probably native Americans has been first who spread Yucca range, then Europeans and Yucca moths traced Yucca up to north.

http://www.ugr.es/~jmgreyes/Yucca-polli ... lution.pdf (page 40 with conservative range map according to the oldest records)

I watched video, and others also. Thank you for sharing!

Best regards,

Mario

[TimMAz6]

Hi Mario,

thanks for the link on the Yucca moth/range. The 'native' Yuccas in my area tend to be the same form.....not sure why. Most Yucca filamentosa types planted in residential gardens are really Y. flaccida in our area but the 'native' Yuccas we see growing along roads and at beach areas are what appear to be a form of Y. filamentosa v concava with constricted seed pods. It's not common to find a naturalized Yucca flaccida in our area??