14 



(1975) succeeded in getting H. illucens to mate by placing adults in 

 large (76 x 114 x 137 cm) cages directly in the sun. Few matings 

 occurred during cloudy weather or when the insects were shaded. Mating 

 commenced during flight as stated by Copello (1526). 



Due to the variable length of the larval and pupal stages, there 

 are probably no more than two generations of H. illucens produced in a 

 year (Copello, 1926), with overwintering occurring in the larval stage 

 (May, 1961). Greenberg (1971) states that the adults readily enter 

 houses while Furman et al. (1959) claim they do not. 



D i str i but ion . Eermetia illucens is rather widely distributed 

 throughout the Western hemisphere, the Australian region from Samoa to 

 Hawaii, and in some areas of the Palearctic region (Greenberg, 1971). 

 Various authors report the presence of E. illucens in the Eastern 

 hemisphere (Earbier, 1952; Peris, 1962; Adisoemarto, 1975). James 

 (1935) states that H. illucens has been spread by commerce. Van Dyke 

 (1939) believes H. illucens is a European species, but Leclercq (1966, 

 1969a) claims it is an American species transported to Europe and Asia. 



Larva 1 hab i tats . Immature stages of E. illucens are found in a 

 variety of habitats. Copello (1926) found them living in beehives in 

 Argentina where the larvae were destroying the weaker hives. Van Dyke 

 (1939) found larvae of H. illucens in honey bees' nests in the U.S. 

 Larvae have also been reported from nexts of Melponidae, a family of 

 stingiess bees (Borgmeier, 1930), from dead crabs (Ricardo, 1929), and 

 from a human cadaver (Dunn, 1916). Other habitats include beeswax, 

 catsup, decaying vegetables, potatoes (Mai loch, 1917), and outdoor 

 privies in the Southern U.S. (James, 1947). 



