234 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



Fig. i-]t). — Gnlleria mello- 

 netta. 



larva of this species is a well-known pest in apiaries. It 

 feeds upon wax ; and makes silk-lined galleries in the honey- 

 comb, thus destroying it. When full grown the larva 

 is about an inch in length. It lies hidden in its gallery dur- 

 ing the day, and feeds only at night, when the tired-out bees 

 are sleeping the sleep of the just. When ready to pupate 

 the caterpillar spins a tough cocoon against the side of the 

 hive. 



The moth has purplish-brown front wings, and brown or 

 faded yellow hind wings. The fore wings of the male are 



deeply notched at the end, while those 

 of the female (Fig. 279) are but slightly 

 so. The female moth creeps into the 

 hive at night to lay her eggs. 



This pest is found most often in weak 

 colonies of bees, which it frequently 

 destroys. The best preventive of its 

 injuries is to keep the colonies of bees strong. Of course 

 the moths and larvae should be destroyed whenever found. 

 But the moths are slippery like other expert thieves, and 

 run so rapidly when disturbed that it is very 

 difficult to catch them. 



Family Crambid^e (Cram'bi-dae). 



The Close-wings. 



Although this is not a large family, there 

 being only seventy-five species known in our 

 fauna, the members of it are more often seen 

 than any other Pyralids. The larvae of most 

 of the species feed on grass; and the adults 

 fly up before us whenever we walk through 

 meadows or pastures. When at rest, the moths 

 wrap their wings closely about the body ; this 

 has suggested the name Close-wings for the 

 insects of this family. When one of these 

 moths alights on a stalk of grass it quickly places its body 



Fig. 280. — Cram 

 ius. 



