The egg stage of adult mealworms lasts about 7-8 days, and the larval stage to adult stage takes about 110 days, which is about four months. After the adults mate, they can lay eggs. Mealworms, also known as mealworms, are active by nature and are active day and night.

Generally, 3-4 generations occur, with overlapping generations, no overwintering, and normal development in winter. The suitable breeding temperature is 20-30℃. At 20-25℃, the egg stage lasts 7-8 days, the larval stage lasts 122 days, and the pupa stage lasts 8 days. It takes about 133 days to develop from egg to adult.

At 28-30°C, the egg stage lasts for 3-6 days, the larval stage lasts for 100 days, and the pupa stage lasts for 6 days. It only takes 110 days for the egg to develop into an adult.

Extended information:

Eggs: There is mucus on the surface of the egg shell. Therefore, more than a dozen eggs are often stuck together into a ball, or the surface is covered with food debris. Hard to detect. The egg shell is thin and soft, making it highly susceptible to mechanical damage. Untouched eggs have a hatching rate of over 95%. The egg stage lasts 5 to 15 days.

Larvae: Larvae like to live in groups and often gather in moist and dark places. Its feeding habits are the same as those of adult insects. According to the food consumption measurement of 500 larvae raised in groups, the total consumption of bran in the larval stage was 221g, with an average of 0.442g per head.

Assuming that 8,000 to 10,000 mature larvae weigh about 1kg, it takes about 3.5 to 4.5kg of bran to grow 1kg of mature larvae. Most of the larvae are 13th to 16th instar, with a duration of 70 to 156 days.

Pupae: Mature larvae mostly pupate on the surface of the food after stopping eating for 4 to 5 days. The pupae period lasts for 5 to 11 days.

Adults:

(1) Male Feathering: Feathering is possible throughout the day, with a feathering rate of over 90.

(2) Sex ratio: 1984 adult worms were examined, and the male to female ratio was 1:1.05.

(3) Adult life span: According to statistics of three generations of adults raised between 1986 and 1987, the shortest life span is 2 days, the longest is 196 days, and the average is 51 days.

(4) Activities: Poor flying ability, good at crawling, and likes to live in groups. Dozens of insects often gather in one place. It likes to hide in dark and moist spaces or in food during the day, and is very active at night.

(5) Mating and egg-laying: Mating usually takes place on the 3rd or 4th day after emergence. Mating occurs day and night, lasting 1 to 5 minutes. Adult beetles like to drill into the bottom of the breeding container to lay eggs. The peak of egg laying is usually within 30 days after emergence.

(6) Food habits: Addicted to feed on drum skin, soybean powder, vegetable leaves, melon rinds, fruit peels, etc. When raised artificially, they can develop normally if they are fed soybean dregs, cassava dregs, distiller's grain dregs, etc., but the duration is prolonged. They often chew up soft plastic, paper, cotton, wood and other debris that fall into human breeding basins.

Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia - Mealworm