5 replies to this topic

[Reevak]

I was just wondering why people use mealworms to feed their pets (ants in this case) instead of darkling beetles. I always assumed it was because mealworms provide more nutrition, but I don't actually know for sure. Is there a reason that people use mealworms instead of the darkling beetles that you think not many people know about or is it just as straightforward as I originally thought? Thanks.

Edited by Reevak, January 9 2017 - 6:25 PM.

[Connectimyrmex]

Because the adult beetles are stronger and harder to eat for ants.

[Serafine]

The beetles have a very hard exoskeleton which is hard to rip apart for ants that do not have workers specialized in breaking stuff up (=majors).
Also in case they're served living there is a high risk that ants are severely injured or even killed when fighting with the beetle, much less with the worm.

[Batspiderfish]

Adult Tenebrio also have chemical defenses, although I honestly don't know if they are effective against ants (they might simply make the beetle unappealing to predators). Sometimes I will chop up deceased adults (or adults which fail to eclose properly) and leave the parts in a dish.

[LC3]

Not to mention the larval stage contains the most and highest amount of nutrition and juicy bits. They are larvae after all which have one goal; to eat as much as possible in order to become a pupae. Which will in the end become a beetle. As you can guess it uses most of the energy and nutrients it accumulated as a larvae to become a beetle and as a result leaves the beetle with much less meat then the larvae.

Edited by LC3, January 9 2017 - 8:01 PM.

[Alabama Anter]

Adult Tenebrio also have chemical defenses, although I honestly don't know if they are effective against ants (they might simply make the beetle unappealing to predators). Sometimes I will chop up deceased adults (or adults which fail to eclose properly) and leave the parts in a dish.

Yes. If you harass one and smell it smells horrible.