Pest Guides

Lesser Mealworm

Alphitobius diapernis

Appearance

Lesser Mealworm | Rentokil Pest Control Australia
  • Adults - 1/4" long. Newly moulted adults are reddish-brown turning black.
  • Larvae - 5/16" long. Slender, segmented and worm-like with three pairs of tiny legs on the thorax and one abdominal proleg at the rear.

Lifecycle

  • Females can lay up to at least 110 eggs a month and eggs hatch in 4-7 days.
  • Larval development takes up to 7 weeks. Mature larvae seek a sheltered place to pupate for between 7 and 11 days.
  • An adult beetle may live up to two years.

Habits

  • The beetles are attracted to poultry operations, which have ideal conditions for their development. The damage to insulation is carried out by lesser mealworms seeking a safe place to pupate because the darkling beetles prey on the lesser mealworms.