Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
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View PDFPyralidae Members: Achroia Members: 16 NC Records

Achroia grisella (Fabricius, 1794) - Lesser Wax Moth

Achroia grisellaAchroia grisellaAchroia grisella
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea		 Family:
Pyralidae		Subfamily:
Galleriinae		Tribe:
Galleriini		P3 Number:
80a0042		 MONA Number:
5623.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Wingspan: 1.7 - 2.2 cm (Covell, 1984)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Achroia grisellaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Associated with European Honeybees; recorded so far at just a few locations in North Carolina
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on honeycomb, dried fruit, and detritus (Forbes, 1923; Robinson et al., 2010). - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNA
State Protection:
Comments: Cosmopolitan; exotic in North Carolina

 Photo Gallery for Achroia grisella - Lesser Wax Moth

Photos: 17
Achroia grisellaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-09-28
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Achroia grisellaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-07-31
Orange Co.
Comment:
Achroia grisellaRecorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2023-09-25
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Achroia grisellaRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-13
Orange Co.
Comment:
Achroia grisellaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-17
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Achroia grisellaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-09-29
Wake Co.
Comment:
Achroia grisellaRecorded by: Stephen Hall on 2021-08-11
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Achroia grisellaRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2021-05-26
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Achroia grisellaRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2021-05-26
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Achroia grisellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-09-04
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Achroia grisellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-08-30
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Achroia grisellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-08-30
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Achroia grisellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-08-30
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Achroia grisellaRecorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-07-13
Orange Co.
Comment:
Achroia grisellaRecorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-06-09
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Achroia grisellaRecorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-06-09
Orange Co.
Comment:
Achroia grisellaRecorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2017-08-24
Ashe Co.
Comment: