| Greater Wax Moth | |
|---|---|
| Resting adult, side view | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pyralidae |
| Tribe: | Galleriini |
| Genus: | Galleria Fabricius, 1798 |
| Species: | G. mellonella |
| Binomial name | |
| Galleria mellonella (Linnaeus, 1758) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Numerous, see text |
|
The Greater Wax Moth or Honeycomb Moth (Galleria mellonella) is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It is the only member of the genus Galleria. It is found in most of the world, including Europe and adjacent Eurasia (its presumed native range), and as an introduced species e.g. in North America and Australia.
The Lesser Wax Moth (Achroia grisella) is a close relative, which also belongs to tribe Galleriini of the pyralid subfamily Galleriinae. The Greater Wax Moth is the type species of this tribe and subfamily.
The adults' wingspan is 30–41 mm. This moth flies from May to October in the temperate parts of its range (e.g. Belgium and The Netherlands).
The caterpillar larvae feed on the honeycomb inside bee nests and may become pests. Less often, they are found in bumblebee and wasp nests, or feed on dried figs.[1]
The larvae of the Greater Wax Moth have been shown to be an excellent model organism for in vivo toxicology and pathogenicity testing, replacing the use of small mammals in such experiments. The larvae are also well-suited models for studying the cellular and the humoral responses of the insect immune system.
As a widespread and somewhat notorious (due to its occasional pest status) species, the Greater Wax Moth has been described under a number of now-invalid junior synonyms:[2]
Junior synonyms (and otherwise invalid names) of the genus Galleria are:[2]