THJi WAX MOTH AND ITS CONTKOL 



THE ADULT 



The adult wax moths are about three-fourths of an inch in length 

 and have a wing spread of about 1 to I14 inches in well-developed 

 specimens. _ They are commonly seen in the resting position with 

 their grayish-brown wings folded, rooflike, closely about them 

 (fig. 4, A and B). The moths are not easily disturbed, but when 

 molested they run rapidly before they take wing. The males are 

 slightly smaller than the females and may be distinguished from 

 them by the shapo of the outer margin of the fore wmg, which is 

 smooth in the female but roundly notched in the male. The sexes 



FiGUEE 3. — Pupal cases, or cocoons, ot the ^vax moth. 



may also be distinguished easily by the palpi of the mouth parts, 

 which are prominent in the female but absent in the male. 



The moths vary widely in size and color, according to the type of 

 food consumed by the larvae and to the length of time of develop- 

 ment. Small, poorly nourished larvae, or those which, because of 

 low temperatures or other factors, develop slowly, transform into 

 small adults, sometimes less than half the normal size. Such small 

 adults might easily be confused with the lesser wax moth. Larvae 

 fed on dark brood combs transform into adults which may be dark 

 gray to almost black, while larvae which survive on pure wax, or on 

 foundation, transform into moths that are silvery white and smaller 

 than those reared on brood comb. 



The female starts depositing eggs from 4 to 10 days after emergence 

 and continues depositing them as long as her bodily vitality lasts. 

 Egg laying may be rapid at times, and as many as 102 eggs have been 

 deposited by a femaJe in 1 minute. The total number of eggs laid by 



