Chalcoela Moths: Pegasus Chalcoela, Chalcoela pegasalis Walker and Sooty-Wing Chalcoela, Chalcoela iphitalis Walker (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
Vera Miskimen and Andrei Sourakov
This publication describes chalcoela moths, unusual predatory moths that occur across North America and the Caribbean. These moths are predators of paper wasps. They lay their eggs in wasp nests on wasp larvae and pupae. Immature moths spend all of their developmental stages inside paper wasp nests feeding on wasp larvae and pupae before pupating, themselves.