Superworms are the larvae of darkling beetles and these are used for feeding the pets in your house. The scientific name of superworms is Zophobas Beetle and these are available at the pet food shops. Such worms are only 2 inches long and they are also voracious eaters. As these worms are quite active, they draw the attention of their predators quickly. If you have a leopard gecko or a sugar glider as a pet, they can notice them from far and also snap up those as a meal. The amazing fact about superworms beetle is that they can remain n the form of larvae for many months. So, using them as a meal for your pets like birds, fishes, chameleons, etc. is easier than any other worms.
Mating of Darkling Beetle
There are numerous species of darkling beetle. Superworms are the larvae of the species that is scientifically known as Zophobas Morio. During the mating time, the male beetle ejaculates enough sperms to fertilize all the eggs of the female that they have at that point. The sperms are stored in a special organ of the female body and those are released when the matured eggs of the female body are released.
Eggs of Darkling Beetles
The female darkling beetles lay eggs on animal carcasses, soil, the bark of decaying trees, etc. The eggs are whitish and small, only 10 inches long. Once they lay eggs, they leave those on their own and let those hatch. It takes several days to hatch the eggs and the small larvae of superworms appear onto the world.
The Larvae Stage of Superworms
Superworms spend a large amount of time at their larvae stage. These warms have a well-defined mouth and three pairs of legs so that they can move in search of foods. Usually, the larvae of superworms eat decaying barks of trees, leaves, and rotten vegetation. If you raise superworms as the food of your pet, you can provide rotten fruits like-
- Oranges
- Apples
- Carrots
- Squashes
- Romaine lettuce
The growing stage of super worms includes lots of shedding their coverage through several times and then they enter into the pupal stage. If you keep those together with other superworms, they can live from six months to one year.
Pupal Stage of Superworms
Have you ever seen the cocoon of silkworms? Superworms also build a cocoon around their body and get inside it from head to tell. The cocoon is hard as it works as a protective shell for their body. In the wild, darkling beetles pupate on the soil. This is the resting period when they don’t eat anything. The constant changes going on inside the cocoon where the tissues of the larvae start to break down and form the entire body of the adult beetle. It only takes 10 to 14 days to transform into an adult darkling beetle from the pupa stage.
Some Important Facts to Know about Superworms
So far, we get an idea about the life circle of superworms. But, there are certainly interesting things you need to know about these worms.
- It is a well-known fact that superworms are used as live food for your pets. But, those are also used in behavioral studies. Their life cycle is quite interesting to study as these worms react at several stimuli like dark, light, touch, etc. These worms are quite large and easy to maintain.
- Superworms can pinch you if you don’t handle those properly. But, you don’t need to worry as their jaws are not enough strong to break through human skin.
- Culturing superworms should go through the proper procedure. You should separate the larvae in different chambers and give time to pupate and become adults. Superworms are also quite sensitive to airborne particles like tobacco, perfumes, incense, and chemical fumes. So, keeping those in the storeroom is not a good idea.
Here you get to know about the life cycle of superworms beetle. You can buy these from any pet shop to feed your pets.