Mealworm Aliens

[Crasher_Insane]

So I've got this mealworm colony started (about 600) and I've pulled about 15 aliens from the colony over the course of a few weeks.

So the question is this: Has anyone seen a mealworm in the process of becoming an alien? Like an in-between stage? It just seems odd that they transform so quickly, going from long and skinny to short and squat.

 

[acpart]

I have occasionally seen one that still had the mealworm "tail" but had the alien head. At least that's what I think I saw.

Aliza

 

[Lena]

They're like Pokemon.. They just evolve..

What? Mealworm is evolving!

 

[Crasher_Insane]

lol Lena, my boyfriend keeps calling them Kakuna so you must be right.

 

[KnECritters]

Ha, love that you call them aliens! I do too

I've never seen a mealworm turn into an alien, but I have seen the aliens turn into beetles. Really interesting that their whole boddy just changes form over night...twice. lol

 

[nats]

What I would like to know is, how in the world do they turn
from an inch long meal worm into an alien only about 1/4''?

 

[acpart]

What I would like to know is, how in the world do they turn
from an inch long meal worm into an alien only about 1/4''?

THey are wider when they're aliens.

Aliza

 

[snakegirl]

Lol its much like when they shed....Just start shedding and Bam there a white stick...then they kinda bend and the next day there golden kinda.

 

[nats]

THey are wider when they're aliens.

Aliza

I think I will check the weight difference (if any) when I get home,
just for the fun of it
I'll bet the worms weigh more than the aliens

 

[laurlaur12]

it always does seem like it happens ridiculously fast. it would be interesting to see a time lapse or something of the transformation

 

[Pepper]

I have no life so I sat down and watched a mealworm turn into a pupae, then watched the pupae turn into a beetle.

The mealworm into a pupae happens pretty quickly. They come to the top of their oats, go into a C shape, and then start to turn into a pupae head first, with the legs developing, and then the tail.

From pupae to beetle the pupae starts flexing before it is going to change, the legs then begin to become deep brown as the beetle head and antenae begin to develop and slowly they shed out of their pupae skin.

 

[cuomop]

what is the time frame from alien to beetle?

 

[VampyricAngelX]

I haven't actually watched my own turn but there's two videos on youtube that show a mealworm turn into a pupae and a pupae turn into a beetle:

Mealworm to pupae
Pupae to beetle

and haha, you know what? the Kakuna (yea I watched Pokemon when I was younger and do remember some names XD) DOES look like a mealworm pupae now that I look at it...