734 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. If). 



you will not forget to observe that the draw- 

 ings are greatly enlarged. The horizontal lines 

 ju?t oppo-«iie give the life size, which, so far 

 as I remember, corresponds to the size of the 

 same species in this country. 



The Iruliaiis are so thoroughly disseminated 

 in this cduiiiry that the wax-moth, so far from 

 being au enemy, may be regarded more as a 

 curiosity; and at the present time it bids fair 

 to become extinct. In Europe, and especially 

 in England, I believe black bees predominate, 

 and hence bee-keepers across the water have 

 more trouble with the bee-moth, and are more 

 concerned with methods of exterminating tliese 

 pests than we are. Italians are making I'apid 

 headway in Australia, and we naturally ex- 

 pect that they will soon cause the bee-moths 

 to become a thing of the past, as they are prac- 

 tically in this country. 



It is not safe, liowever. even here to leave 

 combs exposed for any great length of time 

 from the bees. If we have any left over dur- 

 ing the season they are kept in a tight box or 

 room, said box or room having been subjected 

 to a temperature near the zero-point during 

 the previous winter lor a considerable length 

 of time; for long and severe cold kills the eggs 

 and larvaj; and if the compartment in which 

 the combs are is kept tight thereafter, there will 

 be no danger of wax- moths. 



The bee-motbs, or beeswax moths, of whicii tiiere 

 are two distinct kinds commonly found iu Auslra- 

 ha, are so well known, and have been so frequently 

 figured and described, that it will not be necessary 

 to give very detailed or technical descriptions of 

 tliem here. A considerable number of inquiries 

 have been received during- tlie past two years re- 

 garding these destructive moths, cliieHy from ama- 

 teur bee-keepers; and it may, therefore, be useful 

 to puljlish a few notes concerning: the liabits and 

 seasonnl appearance of these insects in Australia, 

 more especiallj' as 1 am able to add some ni forma- 

 tion regarding- remedial and preventive measures 

 for tlie suppression of the pests, wliicii have been 

 found saiisfactory bj- experienced bee-keepers. 

 The larger of tlie lieeswax-moths —properly known 

 as Oallei ia tnelldin.Uit, Linn., but someiinies called 

 by the name (j<(//('/ (■(( (•(/('((/ki, Fabr. -appears to be 

 by far the more destructive of the two insects. It 

 is a very widely distribut< d species, being- found 

 throug-hout Europe and North America, in India, 

 and even in the cold regions of Northern tjiberia; 

 indeed, it appears to have a lange that is cc-exLtn- 

 sive with that of the bee-hive itself. In warm 

 countries it is much more abundant, and therefore 

 desti-uctive, than in temperate or cold climates, a 

 faet wliii'h is probably accoiuiied for Viy the varying 

 numbei- of broods or generations which occ.ui- in :i, 

 season under ditferent climatic conditions. Wi h 

 us in New Soutli Wales the first l)rt)od of moth ap- 

 l>ears in the early spring- from caterpillars which 

 liave passed tlie winter in a semi-dormant condi- 

 tion, within the walls of their silken covering's, and 

 only turned to pnpae or chrys;ilids upon the ap- 

 proach cjf warm weather. These winter (or hiber- 

 nating-) caterpillars feed very little, and usually 

 confine their wandering's to the silken channels 

 which they have made for themselves before the 

 cool weather sets in. Upon the leturn of the de- 

 sired warmth the caterpillars spin a complete co- 

 coon for themselves and turn to the chrysalis stag-e, 

 and in from ten days to a fortnigfht tlie perfect 

 motli appears. The moth then lays eggs in any 

 conveiuent spot, such as the sides atid bottom of 

 the frames, on the walls of the hive itself, or t)n the 

 comb, in each case 1 have had an opportunity of 

 observing the process, the moth cho--e the sides of 

 the frames, as near to the l)rood-conib as possible, 

 the young larvae having a decided preferen«e for 



this comb. The larva? having once made their ap' 

 peaiance, whicli they usually do in from eight tn 

 ten days after tlie laying of the eggs, their growt^h 

 is exceedingly rapid, the avtn-age time before they 

 are ready to assume the chi'ysalis stage being only 

 some thirty days. The average duration of the 

 chrysalis period is aljout a fortnight, so it can easily 

 be seen with what great capabilities for rapid re- 

 production we have to deal. As we have said, the 

 number of generations, oi- broods, which develop iu 

 a season, i. e , between early spring and late au- 

 tumn, varies with locality and climate, but it may 

 be worth while to record that, in my opinion, we 

 have sutHcient evidence to prove the existence of 

 four bioodsiuihe Sydney district under ordinary 

 circum^tances. 1 have myself bred three genera- 

 tions, or broods, fiom a comb receive;! in early 

 spring from the Richmond Kiver; and 1 am con- 

 \iiiced that a fourth might have been bred from 

 tlie same stick but tor an unfortunate accident to 

 the eggs oijtained from my third brood. Upon hrst 

 hatching, the larvae is pdi yell j\v in color, with a 

 slightly daruened liead; and, wnen full grown, it is 

 of a dull grayish flesh color, with a uark rtddish- 

 brown head. lis average length is about an incii, 

 and, like the majority of the cateip. liars of moths, 

 it has si.Kteen legs. Tne chrysalis of the larger 

 beeswax-moth is of the oidiuary t^pe, and it is in- 

 closed in a very compact cocoon oi tough white 

 silk, usually span up in one of the silken channels 

 or galleries uiade by the larva which we have pre- 

 viously referied to. The perfect insect, or moth, 

 has reddish brown-gray forewings, which are dis- 

 tinctly lighter in color toward the outer or hinder 

 margins. The se.xes may readi y be distinguished 

 by the outline ot the wings, as will readily ije seen 

 by a glance at the plate accompany iiig this article. 



Tlie second spjcies of beeswax-moth is known as 

 Avhraa i//)*T//t<, Fabr., the lesser beeswax-moth, or 

 hone.\ -moth, etc. Although not nearly so destruct- 

 ive as the larger kind, it does considerable djmage 

 in old and neglected liives. The moth is much 

 smaller than Gulkria meUoiieUa, -with which, by the 

 way, I have found it associated in the same hive on 

 more than one occasion. It is of a dead gray color, 

 with a yellow head. This species is not nearly so 

 particular in clloo^ingits food as the former kind 

 (G. metUiurUit), and may frequently be found feeding 

 on the dehrig which commonly collects on the bot- 

 tom of a neglected hive. 



It is a well-known fact, that the beeswax-motlis do 

 not attack the Italian (Ligurian) bee to any serious 

 extent; indeed, tlie> are rarely attacked at all. It 

 is the ordinary black bee or hive-bee that suffers 

 so greatly. 



In conclusion I would express my thanks, among 

 other kind correspondents, to Dr. Dagnell Clark, 

 the Rev. Jolm Ayling, and Messrs. Abram & Riddel, 

 who have been kind enough to forwaid to the De- 

 partment specimens or informatioh. 



So far as 1 am aware, very few recogniz.ible fig- 

 ures of the bee-moths have been published, so that 

 tlie plate attached, from the pencil of Mr. E. M. 

 Grosse. will doubtless prove very acceptable. With 

 the (exception of an excellent wood-cut in Dr. Tascli- 

 enbergs "Die Insecten " (Brehm's Thierleben, Vol. 

 IX., p. 433) of the larger species, I luive not been 

 able to find a figure showing the stages or habits of 

 these motlis. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE. 



BEESWAX-MOTHS. 



T'^ig. 1.— Lai va or caterpillar of Larger Beeswax- 

 moth {Gnlleria melliDiella, Linn.), tide view 

 (much enlarged). 



Fig. 2.— The sjime viewed from above (much en- 

 larged). 



Fig. ;5.— Cocoon of same, extracted from bee-comb 

 (enlarged). 



Fig. 4.— Larger Beeswax-moth (Galleria melloneMa, 

 Liiin.', male (much enlarged). 



Fig. 5.— Forewiiig Of same, female. 



Fig. H.— Larva or caterpillar of Lesser Beeswax 

 moth (Arhra-a (//■i'.s<'//a, Fabr.), side view 

 (much enlarged). 



Fig. 7.— Pupa or Chrysalis of same (much enlarged). 



Fig. 8.— Lesser Beeswa.x - moth (Achioea grigella, 

 Fabr.), (much enlarged). 

 In the background, above, a comb from a frame- 

 hive is represented, showing brood-comb tunneled 



by the larviP of the Ljirger Beeswax-moth (GaUeria 



mellomila, Linn.). 

 The naiural sizes of the insects are indicated by 



hair-line. 



