Galleria mellonella
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Galleria mellonella, the greater wax moth or honeycomb moth, is a moth of the family Pyralidae. G. mellonella is found throughout the world. It is one of two species of wax moths, with the other being the lesser wax moth. G. mellonella eggs are laid in the spring, and they have four life stages. Males are able to generate ultrasonic sound pulses, which, along with pheromones, are used in mating. The larvae of G. mellonella are also often used as a model organism in research.
The greater wax moth is well known for its parasitization of honeybees and their hives. Because of the economic loss caused by this species, several control methods including heat treatment and chemical fumigants such as carbon dioxide have been used.
The caterpillar of G. mellonella has attracted interest for its ability to degrade polyethylene plastic. G. mellonella was first reported as a pest in Asia, but then spread to northern Africa, Great Britain, some parts of Europe, northern America, and New Zealand. The species is now distributed throughout the globe. It has been reported in twenty-seven African countries, nine Asian countries, four North American countries, three Latin American... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Wax Moth sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 596th most-seen of the 1624 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July–September and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Wax Moth in Austin on a given day, against under 5% in October and December–June, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Greater Wax Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
4th of 17
Of the 17 cities where we can rate Greater Wax Moth sightings, Austin ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Essen (Germany, about 10%), Kyiv (Ukraine, under 5%) and London (United Kingdom, under 5%).
Same family: Pyralidae
The closest relatives of the Greater Wax Moth that you can see in Austin (family Pyralidae, Pyralid Snout Moths) are American Sunflower Moth (about 10%), Dusky Raisin Moth (about 10%) and Black-Patched Salebriaria Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Greater Wax Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Austin (39 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
