144 



AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 



most destructive one, was first seen in Australia, in 

 1880, introduced in a colony of Italian bees from Europe, 

 and in New Zealand in 1904, when it was brought under 

 my notice. It was in all probability introduced into 

 this country with bees from Australia. It is the larvae 



Fig. 80. LARGE WAX MOTH. 



(Galleria mellonella.) 



or grubs of the moth which prove so destructive to 

 combs, burrowing through them under the protection 

 of strong silk-like galleries (Fig. 81), which they spin 

 around themselves as they advance in their work of 

 destruction. Eventually the combs are completely 

 destroyed, and fall, a mass of web and cocoons to the 

 floor of the hive. The late Mr. Sidney Oliff, Govern- 

 ment Entomologist for New South Wales, gave 

 an interesting account of the life-history of the 

 large moth and grubs under the climatic conditions 



existing in that 

 State, and it is 

 of importance to 

 note that in his 

 opinion four 



broods of the 

 moth occur in 

 the Sydney dis- 

 Fig. 81. — SILKEN TUBE OF BEE MOTH trict in onc sca- 

 LARVA. son. A tremen- 



