#superworm

Soup, soup, soup and soup

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TODAY'S FACT IS

Did you know that the Superworm (Zophobas atratus, formerly Zophobas morio) is a coomon food source for reptile pets? They provide the feeder many of the nutrirional benefits as mealworms but are a bit longer and have a softer exoskeleton so they might be preferred over mealworms.

In order to mature into an adult beetle, the superworm needs to be isolated and not near food. Keepers often breed these beetle larvae as a food source and are better served for this end as worms rather than adult beetles.

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Superworm (Zophobas Darkling Beetle Larva) - Zophobas atratus

Previously, many images of this specie inside a terrarium have been shared on this blog. The larvae and fully developed adult Darkling Beetles are always showcased in gladness as they crawl about, explore their home, nibble at their food dish and bump against each other. While that's a fun series of images to display and observe, it doesn't provide the full picture of how Superworms navigate in terms of locomotion and the way their bodies wriggle and contort. Not to mention the speed at which they move. Hopefully this video can help demonstrate that, and also how they interact with each other given that it's only larvae in the terrarium today. No adults to find at all! From what I see here, those 6 legs have to work very hard to pull such a long body around, but the flexibility makes cornering around and under objects easy. Some crafty individuals even have the strength and grip to scale the terrarium's glass walls! However, the body itself is a lot to carry/drag around, and without prolegs to grip anything (see Caterpillars), the wrong shift of weight can send them tumbling. Fortunately, in nature these insects are found among detritus, rotting wood and dark crevices, making falling down onto their backs a minimal risk. And as a few individuals here demonstrate, they can right themselves easily with a simple rotation.

This guy hatched out of my darkling beetle/mealworm colony and i don't know what he is exactly