THE USE OF A STEROL INHIBITOR TO CONTROL THE GREATER WAX MOTH GALLERIA-MELLONELLA

A laboratory study was designed to test the ability of an inhibitor of sterol metabolism to control the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonell a. Varying amounts of N,N-dimethyldodecanamine (IPL-12) were sprayed o n portions of used brood comb, dried, and then exposed to wax moth egg s. Larval development was completely inhibited by a concentration as l ow as 2. 5 mg inhibitor per gram of comb, with no resultant damage to the comb. By contrast, untreated comb was completely destroyed. The po ssible use of sterol inhibitors in a wax moth control program is discu ssed.