Jack of all Inverts

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Greater Waxmoth (Galleria mellonella)

Size

Caterpillars range from 3 to 30mm long
Moths range from 10 to 19mm long
Size of moths is dependent on amount of diet consumed

Moisture

29-33%
Do not add additional moisture

Temperature

85-91°F (29-33°C)
Do not chill or heat past 105°F (40.5°C)
Room temperature (73°F/23°C) cultures may not grow properly

Sexing

Female moths are typically larger than males, and males are usually lighter in color. Male moths have an indentation on the front of the wing

Pupae can be sexed near the tip of their abdomen by either a small slit (female) or a pair of rounded knobs (male)

Lifespan

Males live for an average of 21 days while females live for 12 days on average. Time spent as a caterpillar depends on temperature, but they can mature in as little as 28 days.

Instars

Caterpillars will grow and molt several times. Pupae can develop in as little as 8 days in a warm climate.

Feeding

Keep food constantly present to grow the biggest feeders

Adult moths do not eat as they have reduced mouthparts

Growth

If kept hot, these moths can go from egg to moth in about a month with the larval stage only being 20 days

Enclosure

A 32oz deli container with a metal mesh lid, packed half way with substrate with added egg cartons, paper towel rolls, or waxpaper

Breeding

Male moths will beat their wings to attract females, calling with sound waves. They will remain connected often for several hours. One gravid female can lay over 1000 eggs, but more often somewhere around 500

Other Information

In the wild, G. mellonella larvae parasitize the honeybee, living inside of the hive and feeding off the bee's resources. Despite the opportunity to, they never eat bee larvae.

Waxworm Diet Recipe

Ingredients: Rolled Oats, Gerber Rice Baby Food, Wheat Germ, Beeswax, Bee Pollen, Corn Syrup, Honey

Directions:

  1. Mix your dry ingredients in equal parts (Rolled Oats, Wheat Germ, and Rice Baby Food).
  2. Add optional additives to your liking. Beeswax and Bee Pollen are what I add.
  3. Stir until everything is evenly mixed.
  4. Add both wet ingredients and stir in or mash in until the consistency can pack down, but doesn't tightly cling to your hands. It should be faintly sticky and clumping, but not dripping.
  5. Move medium into a 32oz deli container with a METAL mesh lid, or another DIY plastic container. I've found the hard way that waxworms can eat through fabric lids and even mesh pop ups.
  6. Pack it down and poke holes into it with a toothpick. This allows the moths to lay eggs easier.
  7. Add paper towel rolls, egg cartons or wax paper to provide places for caterpillars to cocoon.
  8. Add 10+ or so moths/pupae of both sexes to your cup. If you have larvae, you can add those instead.
  9. Set your 32oz on a heat pad set at ~85-95°F. They are designed to live inside beehives. Note that 114°F is too hot and will begin to kill them and that temperatures too low will stunt growth. Temperatures 65°F and under should be avoided. Do NOT put your waxworms in the fridge if you intend to raise moths.
  10. Keep feeding your waxworms constantly to get the biggest moths (¾ an inch), or cut them off of food early to get miniature moths ¼ the size. This allows them to be diverse feeders for various predators of many instars.