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Eggs are laid
EggWhen the female Darkling Beetle lays her eggs, she burrows down into the grain or meal. When she lays them they are covered with a clear stickly liquid. The eggs are about the size of the head of a pin or a speck of dust. After about 4 to 6 weeks the eggs begin to hatch. The sticky liquid helps the meal or grain stick to the egg so that when the larvae emerge they have food to eat. -
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Egg Phase
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Larva emerges
The Larva is the actual mealworm that most people see. This stage last for about 8 to 10 weeks. During this time the meal worm grows from a quarter of an inch to an inch. As it grows it molts its outer exoskeleton up to 20 times! It's body is devided up into 13 sections the first being its head, the next three are the thorax where the legs are found, and the last nine are the abdomen. -
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Larva Phase
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Pupa
PupaDuring the larva's last molt it becomes white and enters the pupa statge. In this stage the pupa does not have a mouth so it is unable to eat. It does have legs and wings but they are unable to function. This stage last for about three weeks and as the weeks go on the pupa begins to harden and crinkle up, much like a crysalis for a butterfly. -
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Pupa Phase
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The Darkling Beetle
The last stage or the adult stage is the Darkling Beetle. Once the beetle emerges from the pupa shell, it is a pale brown with a soft white exoskeleton. As it matures and the exoskeleton hardens it turns from a dark brown to black. The Darkling Beetle lives from one to three months. After about eight days it begns reproduction and the life cycle repeats. -
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Adult life span
