Bug FAQBogus Yucca Moth
Prodoxus decipiens · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Prodoxidae
The bogus yucca moth has a wingspan of about 12 to 23 mm. It lives in deserts, grasslands, forest openings, coastal chaparral and dunes. Its range extends from southern Alberta in Canada down to the Mexican Plateau of northern Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It was placed in the genus Prodoxus to set it apart from the true yucca moth, Tegeticula yuccasella.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure roughly 12 to 23 mm across the wings.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits desert areas, grasslands, openings in pine or deciduous forests, as well as coastal chaparral and dunes.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is found from southern Alberta, Canada, down to the Mexican Plateau in northern Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It was once thought to be the same species as another moth but was later separated based on behavioral and physical differences.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 16 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Florida, Texas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Georgia, Oklahoma, Montana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell the bogus yucca moth apart from similar moths?
It belongs to the genus Prodoxus, not Tegeticula, and shows distinct behavior and physical traits.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the bogus yucca moth live?
It lives in deserts, grasslands, forest openings, coastal chaparral and dunes across its range from southern Alberta to northern Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Prodoxidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prodoxus_quinquepunctellus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.