AMERICAN WAX MOTH
Vitula edmandsii
PYRALID MOTH FAMILY (Pyralidae)
The American Wax Moth has a total length of about 5/8 inch. The forewing is gray with black zigzag lines and a reddish tint in the inner margin. There is a black dot for the reniform spot. The hindwing is nearly white. A very similar moth, the Dried Fruit Moth (V. serratilinella) occurs in western North America. It has brownish hindwings. Some experts believe they are the same species.
This moth is probably common in Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods. It has been photographed at Camp Brewster in mid-August 2012 coming to artificial lights.
The larvae eat pollen, honey, and immature bees in honey bee and bumble bee colonies. The larva wraps itself in a protective tubelike silken enclosure. The species spends the winter as a larva. The adults live about 9 days.
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