Galleria mellonella
Encyclopedia
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.
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
larva
e 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 fig
s.
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 response
s of the insect
immune system
.
Junior synonyms (and otherwise invalid names) of the genus
Galleria are:
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the family Pyralidae
Pyralidae
The Pyralidae or snout moths are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea. In many classifications, the grass moths are included in the Pyralidae as a subfamily, making the combined group one of the largest families in the Lepidoptera...
. It is the only member of the genus Galleria. It is found in most of the world, including Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and adjacent Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
(its presumed native range), and as an introduced species e.g. in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The Lesser Wax Moth
Lesser wax moth
Achroia grisella, the Lesser Wax Moth, is a small moth of the snout moth family , wherein it belongs to the subfamily Galleriinae. It is the only unequivocally recognized species of genus Achroia...
(Achroia grisella) is a close relative, which also belongs to tribe
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
Galleriini of the pyralid subfamily Galleriinae
Galleriinae
The Galleriinae are a subfamily of snout moths and occur essentially world-wide, in some cases aided by involuntary introduction by humans...
. The Greater Wax Moth is the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of this tribe and subfamily.
Description, ecology and use by humans
The adults' wingspanWingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 30–41 mm. This moth flies from May to October in the temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
parts of its range (e.g. Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and The Netherlands).
The caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed on the honeycomb
Honeycomb
A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal waxcells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey...
inside bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
nests and may become pests. Less often, they are found in bumblebee
Bumblebee
A bumble bee is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. There are over 250 known species, existing primarily in the Northern Hemisphere although they are common in New Zealand and in the Australian state of Tasmania.Bumble bees are social insects that are characterised by black...
and wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
nests, or feed on dried fig
Common fig
The Common fig is a deciduous tree growing to heights of up to 6 m in the genus Ficus from the family Moraceae known as Common fig tree. It is a temperate species native to the Middle East.-Description:...
s.
The larvae of the Greater Wax Moth have been shown to be an excellent model organism
Model organism
A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the organism model will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Model organisms are in vivo models and are widely used to...
for in vivo
In vivo
In vivo is experimentation using a whole, living organism as opposed to a partial or dead organism, or an in vitro controlled environment. Animal testing and clinical trials are two forms of in vivo research...
toxicology
Toxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
and pathogenicity
Pathogenicity
Pathogenicity is the ability of a pathogen to produce an infectious disease in an organism.It is often used interchangeably with the term "virulence", although virulence is used more specifically to describe the relative degree of damage done by a pathogen, or the degree of pathogenicity caused by...
testing, replacing the use of small mammals
Animal testing
Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and in vivo testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments. Worldwide it is estimated that the number of vertebrate animals—from zebrafish to non-human primates—ranges from the tens of millions to more than 100 million...
in such experiments. The larvae are also well-suited models for studying the cellular
Cell-mediated immunity
Cell-mediated immunity is an immune response that does not involve antibodies but rather involves the activation of macrophages, natural killer cells , antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, and the release of various cytokines in response to an antigen...
and the humoral response
Humoral immunity
The Humoral Immune Response is the aspect of immunity that is mediated by secreted antibodies produced in the cells of the B lymphocyte lineage . B Cells transform into plasma cells which secrete antibodies...
s of the insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
immune system
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
.
Synonyms
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:- Galleria austrina Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875
- Galleria cerea Haworth, 1811 (unjustified emendation)
- Galleria cerealis Hübner, 1825 (unjustified emendation)
- Galleria crombrugheela Dufrane, 1930
- Galleria crombrugheella (lapsusLapsusA lapsus is an involuntary mistake made while writing or speaking. According to Freud's early psychoanalytic theory, a lapsus represents a missed deed that hides an unconscious desire....
) - Galleria mellomella (lapsus)
- Phalaena mellonella Linnaeus, 1758
- Phalaena cereana Blom, 1764
- Tinea cerella Fabricius, 1775 (unjustified emendation)
- Vindana obliquella Walker, 1866
Junior synonyms (and otherwise invalid names) of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Galleria are:
- "Adeona" Rafinesque, 1815 (nomen nudumNomen nudumThe phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
) - Cerioclepta Sodoffsky, 1837
- Vindana Walker, 1866