Mealworms

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Mealworms!
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Our class are keeping mealworms as pets to
observe and learn about their lifecycles. We love
watching them burrow into the bran and feeling
them tickle our hands!
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A digital drawing by Brandyn
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We are keeping them inside plastic containers and
feeding them on bran. Bran is a type of plant
used to make breakfast cereal. The mealworms do
not need water to drink, but like to have a bit
of moister plant food such as a slice of apple or
potato.
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top view
side view
Our mealworms are a pale yellowy-brown colour.
The tail and head are a darker colour than the
rest of the body. They have six legs. The pairs
of legs are attached to the three body segments
behind the head. Altogether there are thirteen
segments along the body. As they grow, they
shed their skin!
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A digital drawing by Joshua W.
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A few of the mealworms are beginning to
change! They shed their skin and look soft and
white. They are thicker and shorter than they
were before. They stay very still for a long
time. They are no longer meal worms or larvae,
but are now called pupa.
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The skin of the pupa is like the chrysalis of a
butterfly! The worm or larvae inside is slowly
changing into a beetle. The skin is only thin
and does not become hard, they will still wriggle
a little if touched. As the beetle becomes ready
to emerge, the pupa becomes darker in colour.
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A digital drawing by Erin
A digital drawing by Emily
A digital drawing by Emma
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Mealworm larvae ----- pupa
----- Darkling beetle (adult)
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The adults are called Darkling beetles. They
also like to eat grain and scraps and anything
they can find! They cannot fly because their
wings are fused together. They will lay eggs
that will hatch into mealworms, and the lifecycle
will start again.
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For more information on mealworms and darkling
beetles click here to go to Enchanted Learning.
End of Slide