The mealworm beetle breeds prolifically. The life span of these insects is variable, but with more than 1,400 types of darkling beetles in North America it’s not surprising to find some differences. The mealworms, which are the larvae of the darkling beetle, will need 10 or more weeks to go through their life cycle and reproduce to make new mealworms. Larvae are worm-like, with slender, elongated bodies. Zophobas morio is a species of darkling beetle, whose larvae are known by the common name Superworms, King Worms, Morio Worms or simply Zophobas.Superworms are common in the reptile pet industry as food, not to be confused with giant mealworms, which are Tenebrio molitor larvae sprayed with juvenile hormone. The pupae will appear motionless though inside the mealworm will be turning into a beetle2, 6. Female darkling beetles deposit their eggs in the soil. The mealworm beetle breeds prolifically. Alphitobius diaperinus is a species of beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, the darkling beetles.It is known commonly as the lesser mealworm and the litter beetle.It has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring nearly worldwide.It is known widely as a pest insect of stored food grain products such as flour, and of poultry-rearing facilities. Description . Over a lifespan, a female will, on average, lay about 500 eggs. These eggs are … The mealworm beetles will lay eggs and eventually die, continuing the cycle. There is very little parental care in the mealworm beetle and in most insects. We have handled thousands of beetles and usually they never fly. They are high in protein and fat and are easy to maintain. If you don’t plan to keep the mealworms into the next stages of life, keep in mind that they usually remain at the larval (worm) phase for 8-10 weeks. After that, they emerge as darkling beetles and can live for just a few months or up to 15 years, depending on the species and environmental factors such as climate and food availability. Here we examine the condition dependence of several important life history traits, including those under both pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection, in the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor. They're often found hiding under rocks or leaf litter and will come to light traps. Darkling beetles are primarily scavengers. Its’ proper title is the yellow mealworm. In my experience, mealies go from egg to beetle stage living for roughly 4 months at ambient temperatures of 78F. Egg The mealworm … For males reared on the three diets we measured: a) adult body size and lifespan, b) … All you have to do is take them out of the refrigerator about once a week and give them some food for a few hours. The adult lives for a few months. Anatomy: The tiny, white, bean-shaped eggs are about 2 mm long by .9 mm wide. This stage is also known as a "grub" and takes up a large fraction of the darkling beetle life cycle. Males only give sperm and a few nutrients to the female. The mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, is currently considered as a pest when infesting stored grains or grain products. This small brownish creature is actually the larval stage of the darkling beetle. A: Mealworms, like most insects, hatch from eggs. Depending upon the temperature the pupae will remain for 3-30 days. The female darkling beetle lays hundreds of tiny, white, oval eggs, which hatch into tiny mealworms (the larval stage) - it takes from 4 to 19 days to hatch. Learn more about the mealworms diet According to LIVIN farms, this stage lasts about 1 to 2 weeks before the eggs hatch into the larvae. Make sure to leave the pupae and beetles in the farm to reproduce. Mealworm Life Cycle. On average it takes approximately 10-12 weeks (3-4 months) for a mealworm to go from egg to adult size. We keep an accurate date on their morph from worms to beetles. Females put in more care than males, but still not very much. View PDF. The mealworm life cycle is in four stages: egg, larvae, pupa, and darkling beetle. Darkling beetles follow a life history known as complete metamorphosis. It then enters the pupal stage (this stage lasts from 2-3 weeks up to 9 months, if the pupal stage over-winters). They make observations of their mealworm and watch as it progresses from the larva to the pupa and finally the beetle will emerge. Like butterflies and moths, they go through four distinct stages during their life cycle. Share pictures of mealworms and darkling beetles on blogs, forums, and web pages. When the beetle emerges as an adult, they will survive for about an additional 30 days. Mealworms are actually the larval form of the adult darkling, or mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor. Or leaf litter and will come to light traps dark brown conditions, molitor! 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