Tjie Bekmoth or Wax worm 21 



1 



The females predominate in this collection, as in those of the first 

 two shown in tables IG and 17. Of the 318 larvae observed. 184 de- 

 veloped into females and 134 into males. 



HABITS 



During the day the moths seek a sheltered place away from light 

 and enemies, where they apparently settle down and draw their wings 

 around them, remaining very quiet. Usually they are well protected by 

 their color-, which resembles weatherbeaten wood. If disturbed during 

 the day, the moths will make a dart or short flight, acting as though 

 blinded by light. When an object is met, the moth quickly settles down 

 and seems very anxious to a\oid flight. That the moths are hard to 

 disturb in the daytime is shown by the fact that in several of the cages 

 used in the experiments small ants attacked the moths and killed them 

 without any apparent struggle on the part of the latter. Only by close 

 examination could it be detected that the moths were dead and not 

 resting in the usual manner. It is only during the later part of the 

 oviposition period that the females are active during the daytime. The 

 male moths are very active throughout their existence. 



PERIOD BETWEEN EMERGENCE AND COPULATION 



The moths under normal conditions probably mate soon after emer- 

 gence. No cage observations were recorded but a series of unmated 

 females were killed and examined to determine the condition of the 

 eggs. The first moth was killed one hour after emergence. Many of 

 the eggs were full size but were not close to the ovipositor. The second 

 moth was killed fourteen hours after emergence. In this moth fully 

 one-third of the eggs were fully developed and a very few were close 

 to the ovipositor. The third moth was thirty-eight hours old when 

 killed. Four eggs were extruded before death. The eggs were crowded 

 close to the oviduct and were well rounded, the immature eggs being 

 somewhat flattened on the ends. A count was made of 1128 eggs, 

 700 of which were full sized. The fourth moth was sixty-two hours 

 old when killed. Fully two-thirds of the eggs were full sized, the 

 remainder varying in size. The fifth moth was eighty-six hours old 

 when killed. In this moth fully three-fourths of the eggs were full 

 sized and they were closely packed in the lower portion of the repro- 

 ductive orgam The next female was 110 hours old when killed. The 

 eggs were of the same comparative size and condition as in the previous 

 moth. Those eggs nearest the ovipositor, however, assumed a yellowish 

 color. The next moth killed was 134 hours old. The proportion of full 

 sized eggs was the same as in the two previous cases noted but the 

 smaller eggs were increased in size. 



