Greater Wax Moth

About the Greater Wax Moth

A pest of beehives whose caterpillars eat beeswax, pollen, and debris in the comb. It can hear sound frequencies far higher than any other animal tested, up to around 300 kHz, probably to detect bat calls. In 2017 researchers reported that its caterpillars can break down polyethylene plastic. Also widely used in medical research as a cheap model for infections.