Tegeticula maculata

The Tegeticula maculata is a species of yucca moth, a small, diurnal insect with tiny spines on its wings. These moths have a unique, obligate mutualistic relationship with yucca plants. Each of the four yucca moth species is specifically adapted to a particular yucca plant species.12

When yucca flowers bloom, the female moth collects pollen, forms it into a ball, and carries it to another flower. There, she lays her eggs and inserts the pollen mass into the flower's opening. The moth larvae consume about half of the seeds produced by the plant. This specialized relationship ensures the yucca is pollinated exclusively by this moth, and the moth relies solely on the yucca for survival.1