Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How long does it take to see pupae form? And will they be on the surface or will I have to dig for them? Thanks!

Alison

It really depends how old the worms are, if they are full size and your temp is above 70, they will come soon(couple days) if they are not full size it could take several weeks. They should be on top, depending on how your substrate is set up. Craig Kade

How quickly you will see pupas will depend on alot of things. Stuff like how big are the larvas and what temperature you are keeping them at. To give you a quick idea, here is a basic time chart of their life cycle:

Egg : Hatch in 1-2 weeks after laid.

Larva : Molts 9-20 times before becoming a pupa, which can take an average of ten weeks.

Pupa : This stage takes 2-3 weeks before they emerage as beetles.

Beetle : You can't tell gender apart by looking at them. A female beetle can play up to 500 eggs and dies within 3-4 weeks. Then the cycle starts again.

As for temperature, keep them 75-85F. The warmer it is the quicker they go through their life cycle, but too hot kills them. I prefer to stay about 80-82F.

If you want, you can check out my guide on Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) at www.geocities.com/zippidde/mealworms.html. Keep in mind the site is still a work in progress.
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- Juli
Polliwog Design - Under construction.

Thanks for all your help!

The website looks good - it helps to see the pictures. I've only seen drawings of the pupae, so seeing a real one was helpful. )

Alison