Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFPyralidae Members: Aphomia Members: 40 NC Records

Aphomia sociella (Linnaeus, 1758) - Bee Moth

Aphomia sociella
view caption 		Aphomia sociella
view caption 		Aphomia sociella
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea		 Family:
Pyralidae		Subfamily:
Galleriinae		Tribe:
Tirathabini		P3 Number:
80a0049		 MONA Number:
5629.00		 Other Common Name:
Bumble Bee Wax Moth
Species Status: A small, elongated moth with white -- especially in males -- or pale gray ground color, and with olivaceous or russet shading (Forbes, 1923). According to Solis and Metz (2008), the scales of the costal margin and those adjacent to the submedian and postmedian lines are nearly white, and the area between the submedian and postmedian lines are paler posteriorly. The lines are strongly dentate and the discal dot is strongly black, although sometimes lost in the dark shading. This species also has three small black dots on the posterior end of the thorax that are missing in our other bee moths. In females, the forewing and hindwing are broader than in the males, with the forewing apex forming a nearly right angle (Solis and Metz, 2008).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Solis and Metz (2008)                                                                                 
Adult Structural Features: See images below.
Genitalia and other 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.
Aphomia sociellaAlamance 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 Hanover 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: Our records come both native habitats and developed or agricultural areas, presumably all where European Honey Bees occur.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae reportedly feed on fungi and detritus in the hives of European Honey Bees (Beadle & Leckie, 2012). - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNA
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Cosmopolitan; exotic in North Carolina.

 Photo Gallery for Aphomia sociella - Bee Moth

 44 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-08-25
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-08-25
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-06-11
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2025-04-25
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Owen McConnell and Simpson Eason on 2024-06-19
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-06-14
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-14
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-12
Madison Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-05-02
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-29
Madison Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-27
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31
Swain Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30
Swain Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-05-11
Madison Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2022-05-31
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-05-17
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2022-05-14
Orange Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-05-14
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-05-14
Madison Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-06
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-05-05
Orange Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-05-05
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-05-03
Orange Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: David George on 2021-07-04
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-06-17
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-01
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-04-30
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2020-08-09
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Aphomia sociella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-06-20
Madison Co.
Comment: