Wax worms (Gallería melonella)

These are not readily available from most pet stores. Theyare often most easily obtained through fish bait mail order businesses. They should be stored in pine shavings in a plasticcovered box and stored in a cool area of the house. Wax worms tend to be fatty and are not recommended as a basic diet for most insect-eating lizards. They can, however, serve as a valuable component in a varied insect diet. They can also help lizards put on weight. Many lizards that are reluctant to feed on other insect species will start feeding on wax worms. Though distributors claim this to be a low chitin insect (the implication being it should be easily digestible), wax worms do have an exoskeleton (whatever its composition) which is, in fact, not easily digested by many species of lizards. Thus, they should be offered as food only in small numbers per feeding or one will be faced with the same regurgitation syndrome mentioned regarding mealworms.

As with mealworms, pupae and the adult moths can be a useful food source for some lizards.