4 CIRCULAR 38 6, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



of tunnels and refuse of the wax on the frames or on the bottom of 

 the hive (fig. 3). Frequently the cocoon is placed in a hollow 

 chewed out of the wood of the hive or frame. Frames may be found 

 in which holes have been chewed completely through the end or top 

 bars, with the cocoon and pupal case inside these holes. 



The Pupa 



Within the cocoon the larva changes to the pupa. The duration 

 of the pupal stage within the cocoon ranges from 8 to 62 days, 

 depending on the temperature. As with many other insects, the 

 pupal period allows the wax worm to pass through the fall and 

 winter protected against climatic influence. In the South, especially 

 in warm winters, the adults mav emerge at any time. 







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Figuee 3.— Pupal cases, or cocoons, of the wax moth. 



The Adult 



The normal adult wax moth is about % inch in length and has a 

 wing spread of about 1 to 1% inches (fig. 4.) Adults are commonly 

 seen in the resting position with their grayish-brown wings folded in 

 rooflike fashion (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 shape of the outer margin of the fore wing, which is notched in 

 the male but smooth in the female, and by the absence of palpi, which 

 are prominent in the female. 



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

 of food consumed by the larvae and to the length of the developmental 



