CHAPTER XIX. 



Enemies of Bees. 



802. The Bee-Moth (Tinea mellonella) is mentioned by 

 Aristotle, Virgil, Columella and other ancient authors, as 

 one of the most formidable enemies of the honey-bee. Even 

 in the first part of this century, the bee-writers, almost with- 

 out exception, regarded it as the plague of their apiaries. 



Fig. 214. 



BEE-MOTH. 



Swammerdam speaks of two species of the bee-moth 

 (called in his time the "bee-wolf"), one much larger than 

 the other. Linnasus and Reaumur also describe two kinds 

 — Tinea cereana and Tinea mellonella. 



Scientists do not agree exactly as to these species, nor their 

 names, calling them, galleria cereana, galleria alvearia, tinea 

 cerella, etc. 



The smaller moth, now denominated "Achroia Grisella," is 

 mentioned in the A B C of Bee-culture. Mr. E. F. Phillips 

 speaks of it in Gleanings, of October 1, 1905. 



Most writers supposed the former to be the male, and the 

 latter the female of the same species. The following descrip- 

 tion is abridged from Dr. Harris' Report on the Insects of 

 Massachusetts : 



803. "Very few of the Tinea exceed or even equal it in size. 

 489 



