438 FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



combs which were peopled by them were undisturbed by the common bee- 

 moth, which, as all know, is really to be dreaded, as it mutilates the combs 

 quite seriously. He asked for name, habits, etc., and wished, if of general 

 interest, that information be given through the bee-papers. 



August 20 I visited the apiary of my brother at Owosso, Mich., and found 

 that he had been considerably troubled by the same insects. They were 

 numerous on the combs, and, though they did not mutilate the comb, they 

 did spin their silken cords all over it and drop their fecal pellets in the cells 

 in a way that would not make the comb very pleasant to the bees. 

 My brother also found the two insects, this small one and the larger 

 well-known bee-moth, GaUeria cereana, working side by side. Some of these 

 were carefully placed in a breeding bottle, and now I have the moth. We 

 conclude, then, that eggs may be laid in July or August, the larvae found at 

 work in August, September and October, and the moths found from October 

 till spring. There is, doubtless a spring brood. 



The insect proves to be Ephestia inteiyUnctella, Hubner, or Tinea zem, 

 Fitch. Riley, in his 9th Missouri Report, p. 31, refers to this insect as Ephes- 

 tia zecB, and calls it a wax-feeding larva. Lintner, in his 1st Report, speaks 

 of Ephestia interpundella as the cabbage-moth. The same author, in his 

 entomological contributions, speaks of Ephestia interpunctella as existing in 

 both Patagonia and the United States. In Vol. VII., p. 23, Ontario Entomo- 

 logical Society, this insect, under the name Ephestia zece, is referred to as 

 introduced by the grain exhibits at the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia. 



Dr. Fitch, in his second N". Y. Report, p. 320, describes this moth in all its 

 stages. He was not aware that it had been previously described by Hiibner, 

 and so called it Tinea zece. He speaks of it as feeding on flour, and as especi- 

 ally common in stale Indian meal. Dr. Fitch also gives a good figure of the 

 moth. This author concludes that the moth might exclaim with Barlow, in 

 his hasty-pudding: 



"All my bones were made of Indian corn. Delicious grain!" 



Dr. Fitch also calls attention to the fact that this insect, like the larva of 

 the grain-moth. Tinea granella, fills the substance on which it feeds with a 

 web. 



The correct name of this moth is Ephestia interpunctella. As it has never 

 had a common name, so far as I know, I would propose that of lesser bee- 

 moth. I have heard of it so generally this summer from several besides 

 the two persons already referred to, that I think it is quite partial to 

 honeycomb, or rather to what is stored in the cells of the comb. It feeds 

 on the pollen in the cells, and injures the comb only by its web and filth, 

 which I think would soon be cleaned out by a good, vigorous colony of bees. 

 W. J. Ellison, Stateburg, S. C, writes me that this insect does much harm 

 in his State, as it spreads its web on the comb honey in the sections. 



DESCRIPTION. 



The full-grown larva, in general color and size, see Fig. 1, resembles the 

 apple, or codling moth larva, very much. It is about § of an inch long, and 

 pink in color. The head is brown, with darker jaws and lateral edges. It 

 bears a few light-colored hairs. The dorsal shield of the first thoracic seg- 

 ment is also brown, with about ^ of its area on each side much darker than 



