Waxworm

Waxworm is the common name for the caterpillar larvae of the wax moths, most often the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella and the lesser wax moth Achroia grisella, both members of the snout moth family Pyralidae. The caterpillars are medium white in color with black tipped feet and small black or brown heads. In the wild they live as nest parasites inside honey bee colonies, eating the wax comb along with pollen, cocoons and shed skins of the bees, which makes them a significant pest to beekeepers because of the damage they do to honeycomb and their role in spreading disease. In captivity, where they are raised on a mixture of cereal grain, bran and honey, waxworms can survive long periods without eating, especially when kept cool, and they are farmed as live food for insectivorous pets, as fishing bait, and as a laboratory model for studying disease because their immune systems resemble those of mammals in some respects; some waxworm species also carry gut bacteria able to break down polyethylene plastic. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/