THE WAX MOTH 225 



which are caught on their mating flights, the insects cannot be 

 said to be generally injurius. 



The robber fly is a large insect that flies with a loud buzz. 

 It is a rapacious fellow, seeking those it may devour. Butter- 

 flies, bees, grasshoppers, and even wasps and beetles fall victims 

 to its voracious appetite. It is seldom sufficiently abundant to 

 cause appreciable injury in the bee yard and may be regarded, 

 on the wholp. as a useful insect (Fig. 107). 



FiQ. 106.— The natural and preferred food of the skunk is insects. The honey-bee is a 

 tempting delicacy to the skunk palate. 



Spiders also sometimes weave their webs in situations where 

 the heavily laden bees fall into them and are lost. Large webs 

 in the immediate vicinity of the hive should not be tolerated, 

 but aside from that little is to be feared from spiders. 



THE WAX MOTH 



The larger wax moth (Galleria melonella) is very widely 



distributed and among indifferent bee-keepers is a serious pest. 



It is present in nearly all portions of Europe and North America 



where bees are kept, excepting the high altitudes of Colorado 



15 



