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waxmoth2

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Just before the wax moth larvae spun their cocoons, they use the mandibles to chew an indentation on wood so that the cocoon would attach better. Notice the dead workers near the lower left of the photo. Workers often die inside cells because they cannot get out due to the silk left by small wax moth larvae when tunnelling beneath the workers. Photo by Prof. M.V. Smith, University of Guelph.