Yellow Mealworm Beetle

Yellow Mealworm Beetle

Tenebrio molitor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

6 Verified sightings at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]
November Best month

About the Yellow Mealworm Beetle

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. Male mealworm beetles release a sex pheromone to attract females to mate.

Tenebrio molitor has been used in biomedical research. Mealworms can be a dietary source for animals and humans. They are also considered pests, especially to food storage. Like all holometabolic insects, T. molitor goes through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Larvae typically measure about 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) or more. Adults are generally 1.25 to 1.8 centimetres (0.49 to 0.71 in) in length.

T. molitor is dark brown or black as an adult, with larvae up to 1.25 inches (3.2 cm) long and adults up to 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) long. The yellow mealworm beetle can be differentiated from other beetles, due to the linear grooves that are evenly divided and run along the abdomen. The beetle has only four tarsal segments on its hind legs. Most ground beetles, which are similar in size to Tenebrio molitor, have five tarsal segments.

Commonly mistaken with the black mealworm beetle (T. obscurus), key variations... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~10%
2 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~10%
3 Kazan 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
4 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
5 Yekaterinburg 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
6 Saint Petersburg 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
7 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
8 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Yellow Mealworm Beetle in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow Mealworm Beetle sighting in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 546th most-seen of the 672 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Yellow Mealworm Beetle in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow Mealworm Beetle in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Is Minneapolis [Saint Paul] the best place to see a Yellow Mealworm Beetle?

8th of 8

Of the 8 cities where we can rate Yellow Mealworm Beetle sightings, Minneapolis [Saint Paul] ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Helsinki (Finland, about 10%), Kyiv (Ukraine, about 10%) and Kazan (Russia, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Yellow Mealworm Beetle live in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Same order: Coleoptera

The closest relatives of the Yellow Mealworm Beetle that you can see in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (order Coleoptera, Beetles) are Asian Lady Beetle (about 30%), Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (about 20%) and Red Milkweed Beetle (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Yellow Mealworm Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Yellow Mealworm Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (6 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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