Bionomics and Biometrics of Greater Wax Moth Galleria mellonella Linnaeus

Investigations on the biology of Galleria mellonella revealed that the incubation period was 8.6 ± 0.48 days. The seven successive larval instars occupied 4.40 ± 0.48, 5.20 ± 0.4, 6.5 ± 0.67, 7.3 ± 0.45, 8.30 ± 0.45, 8.40 ± 0.66 and 9.20 ± 0.4 days, the total larval period was observed to be 49.3 ± 1.62. The duration of prepupa and pupa were 2.1 ± 0.53 and 8.6 ± 0.73 days respectively. The adult males lived for 16.4 ± 2.69 days, while female lived shorter only 6.9 ± 0.7 days. The pre oviposition, oviposition and post oviposition periods were 1.1 ± 0.3, 4.6 ± 0.66 and 1.2 ± 0.4 days, respectively. Females laid 750.90 ± 169.78 egg/female with 159.70 ± 46.87 eggs/day.