Abstract: Galleria mellonellas were divided into four sections according to body color: dark, dark yellow, yellow, gray and white-yellow respectively. Through strict inbreeding of individuals with the same parents and body color, with the exception of the yellow group after eight generations the body color of offspring was the same as that of their parents. Thus, four strains were obtained: dark, dark yellow, gray and white-yellow respectively. Each strain was then crossed with the other strains (both positive cross and negative cross), and the F₁ selfed and backcrossed with their parents. The color of the F₁, F₂, B₁, P₁ and the number of larvae of each body in F₂ and B₁ were recorded. Analysis of these data showed that the heredity of body color in Galleria mellonella obeyed genetic regulations pertaining to autosome and multiple alleles. At least four multiple alleles affected body color. The dark yellow gene was dominant to the dark gene and the gray gene; the dark gene was incompletely dominant to the gray gene and the white-yellow gene, as was the gray gene to the white-yellow gene and the dark yellow gene to the whiteyellow gene. Individuals whose genotypes were AD, BD and CD were all yellow; those whose genotypes were AA or BC were dark yellow.

Key words: Galleria mellonella, body color, genetic regulation, cross, selfed, backcross