| Lesser Wax Moth (one synonym : Meliphora alveariella Guenée, 1845) GALLERIINAE, PYRALIDAE, PYRALOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
(Photo: courtesy of
Unusual Friends)
|
| Lesser Wax Moth (one synonym : Meliphora alveariella Guenée, 1845) GALLERIINAE, PYRALIDAE, PYRALOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
(Photo: courtesy of
Unusual Friends)
The Caterpillars of this species are an international pest in beehives, feeding on pollen etc., and generally destroying the combs. Their preference is for abandoned hives or hives where the colony is has been weakened. The caterpillars are initially white, but become greyish later, growing to length of about 3 cms.
The adult moths have plain grey-brown forewings, and off-white hindwings with a silken sheen and a fringe on the trailing edges. The head is a fluffy yellow. The moths have a wingspan of about 2 cms. The moths are unusual, in that besides using pheromones, the males emit ultrasonic whistles in order to attract females.
The species has been found all over the world, for example :
and was introduced by unfortunate accident into Australia, where it has now been found in
Attempts to control the pest include :
Further reading :
Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, pp. 47, 68, 347.
Johan Christian Fabricius,
Entomologia systematica emendata et aucta,
Tome 3, Part 2 (1794), p. 289,, No. 10.
 caterpillar |  butterflies |  Lepidoptera |  moths |  caterpillar |
(updated 15 November 2011, 29 April 2024)