Yellow Mealworm Beetle

Yellow Mealworm Beetle

Tenebrio molitor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Moscow

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

22 Verified sightings at Moscow
June 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 Moscow?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow Mealworm Beetle sighting in Moscow on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 413th most-seen of the 1111 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 Moscow?

Any time of year

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

Is Moscow the best place to see a Yellow Mealworm Beetle?

7th of 8

Of the 8 cities where we can rate Yellow Mealworm Beetle sightings, Moscow ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Helsinki (Finland, about 10%), Kyiv (Ukraine, about 10%) and Kazan (Russia, under 5%).

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 Moscow (22 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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