In fact, the yucca and yucca moth share a symbiotic relationship that is so specialized, each yucca species is pollinated by only one type of yucca moth. Yucca – Air Cleaning Plant The moth larvae eat the contents of some of the seeds and pupate within the seed coat. When disturbed, the pupa wriggles causing the seed to move about. The moth makes sure there aren’t already eggs laid there, from the smell the process creates. b. Because the adult stage is very brief, yucca moths do not need to eat; therefore, unlike other moths, they do not have long tongues for sipping nectar. This sort of relationship is called symbiosis. She has over 15 years of experience working as a technical writer in the software industry. However, where its mouth parts would be, it has structures that are somewhat like tentacles. The yucca plant cannot pollinate itself — it relies on the yucca moth for cross-pollination. Special Relationship Between Yucca Plant and Yucca Moth. Good Old Fashioned Hand Written Code by Eric J. Schwarz. The mouth of the female moth is equipped with special tentacle-like organs, designed for gathering and carrying pollen. These are some extraordinary examples from the plant world: Yucca Plant and Yucca Moth. Only in this way can yuccas be cross pollinated. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Another example of Mutualism is the desert bee and cactus. The pollination of yucca plants is different from all other plants. Required fields are marked *. They are so interdependent that one cannot live without the other. In the natural world this is called symbiosis or mutualism. There are some, but not as many as in other climes and certainly not in areas that get extremely hot and dry. In fact, their symbiotic relationship is so specialized that many species of yucca plant can only be pollinated by a single species of yucca moth. Mountain Man’s Affiliate store for great gifts and more, Your email address will not be published. Conceptual model of the hypothesized factors influencing plant fitness in the Joshua tree/yucca moth symbiotic relationship across an elevation gradient in Joshua Tree National Park. Yucca plants are members of the lily family. This is a great example of two species that are entirely dependent of each other for survival. Yucca is both a plant and a moth. The yucca plant and the yucca moth both have a mutualistic, symbiotic relationship. This would be bad news for the yucca plant, except that it has a unique and rather special partner; the yucca moth. The larvae will feed on the seeds. The yucca plant also provides a very interesting example of a symbiotic relationship. The time of … These moths are typically found wherever yucca plants grow, generally throughout the hot, desert regions of the southwestern United States and Central and South America. She apparently selects the right flower to suit her purpose and one that is exactly ripe enough. Yucca moths are members of the family Prodoxidae and the genus Tegeticula. The following spring, adult moths emerge from the cocoons, although some pupae may remain dormant for up to two years. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Yucca plants have a symbiotic relationship with the yucca moth. Learn how your comment data is processed. They are drought hardy and thrive in the desert heat. The yucca moth uses the plant to safely lay its eggs, while the yucca is pollinated by the yucca moth. The moths are only active when the yuccas are in bloom. The Dung Beetle has a commensalistic relationship with most animals. The yucca moth pollinates the yucca plant by carrying its pollen from plant to plant; in return, the yucca moth lays eggs and lives in the yucca plant.Commensalism describes a symbiotic interaction in which one party benefits and the other is unaffected. People might not understand it, but this is very gratifying to the engineer part of me. It defies imagination at times and humbles the greatest workings of man. Our website is a unique platform where students can share their papers in a matter of giving an example of the work to be done. For more than 40 million years there has been a relationship between yucca plants and yucca moths. This sort of relationship is called symbiosis. The two organisms cannot complete their life cycles without each … The yucca moth pollinates the yucca plants by traveling from plant to plant, and in turn its eggs are laid and live in the Yucca Plant. How Many Times Does a Cactus Reproduce in a Lifetime? This sort of relationship is called symbiosis. If the moth died out, so would the yucca. After animals leave behind waste, the dung beetle takes and feeds off of the leftover waste. Often noted when talking about this plant is the symbiotic relationship it has with the Yucca moth, it's only pollinator. Yucca moths in the genera Tegitcula and Parategicula are named for the amazing symbiotic relationship they have with their hostplant, the Yucca plant. After mating, the female begins going from yucca flower to yucca flower, scraping off pollen from the anthers, shaping them into a ball. Some have dark markings and hair-like fringes on their wings. Symbiotic Relationships  Mutualism is clearly shown in the relationship between the Yucca and the Yucca moth. This is part of the amazing thing about it all. The only drawback from the arrangement is that the two are totally reliant upon one another. Since the larva develops into a moth that pollinates the yucca plant, the relationship is clearly beneficial to both partners. They have developed a symbiotic relationship and neither can live without the other. For example, according to the National Wildlife Federation (2014), if the yucca moths did not have the yucca plant, they would have no host plant and die. 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