Mealworm Tenebrio molitor: Pest, Breeding and Novel Food

The mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) is a beetle from the darkling beetle family, which is not only known as a pest of grain products, but also as a valuable food in terrariums and fishing.

Characteristics and Distribution

Adult mealworms are 12 to 20 mm long, while larvae can grow up to 30 mm. The red flour beetle feeds in grain and flour warehouses, which are kept in unhygienic conditions. Both the adult insect and the larva attack flour, bran, rusks and other grain products. It also occurs in bird nests and under the bark of deciduous trees.

Breeding and use

Mealworms are often bred as food for many species of lizards, such as leopard geckos, and for predatory invertebrates. They are also popular as bait for fishing. Keeping mealworms is relatively easy. They are fed wheat bran, oats, cornflakes or breadcrumbs. It is interesting to note that mealworms are bred on a large scale in China by HaoCheng Mealworm Inc.

Mealworms as food

In January 2021, the European Food Safety Authority included the larvae of the mealworm beetle in the catalogue of ‘novel foods’. In Bangkok, mealworm larvae were sold as a delicacy together with other insects.

Summary

The mealworm is a fascinating insect with many uses. It can be a problem for grain warehouses, but at the same time it is a valuable food source in the fields of terrariums and fishing. The growing interest in insects as a source of protein means that the mealworm is also becoming increasingly popular in the catering industry.