Galleria mellonella
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 Vienna on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 666th most-seen of the 1406 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Wax Moth in Vienna on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months. That is one of Vienna's wettest months, with about 85 mm of rain against 40 mm in February.
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.
9th of 17
Of the 17 cities where we can rate Greater Wax Moth sightings, Vienna ranks 9th 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 Vienna (family Pyralidae, Pyralid Snout Moths) are Meal Moth (about 10%), Indian-Meal Moth (about 10%) and Rosy-Striped Knot-Horn (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 Vienna (17 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.
