Mealworm

Mealworm; Temporal range: Holocene,
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Infraorder:	Cucujiformia
Family:	Tenebrionidae
Genus:	Tenebrio
Species:	T. molitor
Binomial name
	Tenebrio molitor; Linnaeus, 1758

Mealworms are the larval form of the yellow mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling beetle.

The yellow mealworm beetle prefers a warmer climate and higher humidity.^[1] Male mealworms release a sex pheromone to attract females to mate.^[2] Mating behavior was also influenced by whether the male was infected or noninfected, as well as the mass of the male.^[3]

Tenebrio molitor has been used in biomedical research. Mealworms can also be a dietary source for animals and humans.^[4] They are also considered pests, especially to food storage.

^ Punzo, Fred; Mutchmor, J. A. (1980). "Effects of Temperature, Relative Humidity and Period of Exposure on the Survival Capacity of Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 53 (2): 260–270. ISSN 0022-8567. JSTOR 25084029.
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[:12-1] Punzo, Fred; Mutchmor, J. A. (1980). "Effects of Temperature, Relative Humidity and Period of Exposure on the Survival Capacity of Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 53 (2): 260–270. ISSN 0022-8567. JSTOR 25084029.

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