Snout moth caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea) eat wax, feces, or just plain plants - Yikes!: What do they look like?

Snout moth caterpillars, or pyraloids, have diverse habits. Most larvae consume living plants, but some consume dried or decaying plant or animal matter, fecal matter, or wax in bee and wasp nests. Some are known to be inquilines in ant nests, predators on scale insects, and aquatic scavengers in flowing water. The larval morphology of snout moths and their adaptations to a diversity of habits and hosts is discussed.