Tenebrio molitor, a Potential Host

for Biological Control Agents

Juan A. Morales-Ramos1, David I. Shapiro-Ilan2, M.

Guadalupe Rojas1, and W. Louis Tedders3
1- National Biological Control Laboratory, Stoneville, Mississippi.
2- Southeastern Fruit and Nut Tree research Laboratory, Byron Georgia.
3- Southeastern Insectaries Inc., Perry, Georgia.
Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Development time at 27C:

Egg 7-8 days
Larva 90-140 days
Pupa 7-8 days

Instars: Developmental plasticity exhibiting from 11 to 18

instars.
Some authors have reported up to 21 instars.

Adult longevity: 80-180 days.

Fecundity: 90-200 eggs per female.

 Tenebrio molitor is easy to rear
It can be grown from egg to adult with a diet of exclusively
wheat bran

Larval stages do not require water as long as RH is above

60%

Other agricultural products could be used as supplement such as potato, sweet

potato, cabbage, carrot, etc.
 Tenebrio molitor is a Commercial Product in The
United States
Most Common Uses Include:

Food for bird breeding, finches

Feed for wild birds, particularly Blue Birds:

http://www.sialis.org/feeder.htm
http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/

Food for carnivore reptile pets, gecko, bearded dragon, etc.

Food for small mammalian pets, hedgehogs, mice, rats etc.

Fishing lure and bait.

Organic fertilizer

Food and supplements for exotic species in zoos

 Uses of Tenebrio molitor for Production of
Biological Control Agents

Rearing of Heteropteran Predators

Saint-Cyr and Cloutier 1996 (Perillus bioculatus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae))
De Clercq et al. 1998 (Podisus maculoventris (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae))
Grundy et al. 2000 (Pristhesancus plagipennis (Heteroptera Reduviidae))
Zanuncio et al. 2001 (Podisus nigrispinus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae))
Costello et al. 2002 (Podisus mucronatus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae))

Rearing of Chrysopid Predators

Pappas et al. 2007 (Dichochrysa parasina (Neuroptera: Crysopidae)

Production of Entomopathogenic Nematodes

Shapiro-Ilan et al. 2002, (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema carpocapsae)
Shapiro-Ilan et al. 2008 (Heterorhabditis indica and Steinernema riobrave)
Shapiro-Ilan et al. 2010 (Heterorhabditis indica and Steinernema carpocapsae)
In Vivo Mass Production of Entomopathogenic
Nematodes Using Tenebrio molitor as Host
 In Vivo Mass Production of Entomopathogenic
Nematodes Using Tenebrio molitor as Host
Infected cadavers maintain structural integrity and are easier to
handle by a mechanized system

Galleria mellonella Tenebrio molitor

In Vivo Mass Production of Entomopathogenic
Nematodes Using Tenebrio molitor as Host
Oviposition and Progeny Collection System
In Vivo Mass Production of Entomopathogenic
Nematodes Using Tenebrio molitor as Host
Stacked Larval Growth and Development System
In Vivo Mass Production of Entomopathogenic
Nematodes Using Tenebrio molitor as Host
In Vivo Mass Production of Entomopathogenic
Nematodes Using Tenebrio molitor as Host
Larval Size Separation System
In Vivo Mass Production of Entomopathogenic
Nematodes Using Tenebrio molitor as Host
Mass Nematode Inoculation System
In Vivo Mass Production of Entomopathogenic
Nematodes Using Tenebrio molitor as Host
Gel Storage System
In Vivo Mass Production of Entomopathogenic
Nematodes Using Tenebrio molitor as Host
Gel Storage System
In Vivo Mass Production of Entomopathogenic
Nematodes Using Tenebrio molitor as Host
Tape Packing System
In Vivo Mass Production of Entomopathogenic
Nematodes Using Tenebrio molitor as Host
Tape Packing System
 Improving Nutrition of Tenebrio molitor
30
Conversion Efficiency

25
20
15
10
5
0
16

Diet Cost per Kg of Pupae

14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
 Improving Nutrition of Tenebrio molitor

Development and Fecundity Improvements

160 a
a
800
Development Time (days)

Progeny per Female

b b
145
600
c
130 b
400 d
c c c
115 200

100 0
 Improving Nutrition of Tenebrio molitor

Nematode Virulence Improvements

Sc Day 1 Hi Day 4
a a
100 a
100
a
95 95 b b
b

% Mortality
% Mortality

90 90

85 85
b
80 80

75 75

70 70
 Acknowledgements

We thank The USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for financing
this research through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program (grant
No. 2007-33610-18416/proposal No. 2007-03695)
 Acknowledgements

We thank The USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for financing
this research through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program (grant
No. 2007-33610-18416/proposal No. 2007-03695)

We also thank our engineer Scott Lee for assembling the equipment presented
in this talk