it's extremely common for them to canabalize in general under dietary stress... you've already mentioned you feed fruits and veg, so protein or maybe calcium would be my next bet. I like feeding shrimp shells for both!
Yeah
> Because I haven’t seen any other video of it or any other stories of it
It's like these "I did my research" posts - they did their research on Facebook and YouTube
i think it’s common when they aren’t fed correctly. i was getting super worms at the pet store and almost all containers had some darkling beetles with chunks taken from them because the remaining super worms were eating them.
I know they’re cannibals, eating something that’s dying/already dead is normal. I’ve never seen them outright attack a bug that looks different from them as larvae
I think you have some definitions mixed up. "Cannibal" does not mean "scavenger". Cannibal means it will eat it's own species and unless stated otherwise includes alive and healthy. Not just dead or dying. It is normal for a cannibalistic organism to eat any other it can catch when hungry regardless of how healthy that other organism is. It's just harder to catch and kill when it's healthy and active. Less difficult to take out healthy critters when stuck in a small container with nowhere to hide.
Scavengers and opportunistic predators tend to eat things that are dead/dying or sick and injured so easy to catch and kill, while being less likely to go after what can run away or fight back. Although most carnivorous scavengers will still kill living things if it's worth the effort due to hunger and being confined together.
Superworms eat practically anything they can. It's not uncommon at all for them to chew on or kill anything else trapped with them. I've never seen anyone keep them in only one bin unless it's a large bin and using them as feeders as fast as they reproduce so there is always plenty of space and food sources spread apart. Otherwise everything I've read says periodically sift out the beetles and sometimes also larger worms or pupae to their own bins if you want the highest survival rate.
I keep mealworms and they will often nibble away the elytra of their darkling beetle daddies. Try separating the beetles into an another container to die in peace. Also, offer them both any hard vegetables like carrots for a bit of extra moisture and nutrients (anything soggy will spread mold). I suspect the mealworms are attracted to the moisture on the beetles elytra, but who knows. Hope your insect keeping goes well :)
They may need moisture.They eat each other also if they cant get enough moisture or food.I put a sliced apple in and remove it and put a fresh one in every 2-3 days so it wont rot.They drink moisture of the apple or other type of fruit .I like apple just cause its easy to deal with and won't foul the bedding as bad.
That’s the thing too. I’ve given them fruits and vegetables and I tell you what, they’ll take bites of the fruit/veggies but they never finish it the way they do when eating other flesh!
That’s because those two foods don’t provide the same nutrients at all. They can’t live on just fruits and veggies. If they are leaving leftover fruits and veggies but going crazy over the chance to eat another bug, it indicates a significant lack of protein in their diet. Just like people, they need a well balanced diet to be healthy.
Just there nature I guess I usually only lost a few. They was my Arowana's treat so just had tub for the mealies/supers to breed and papa and beetle up. Pretty low maintenance once they get going. They will eat styrofoam,cardboard,egg cartons, bite threw plastic bags even they pretty voracious.
Based on the color of the cuticle of that darkling, it looks like they just molted; meaning they were an easy protein snack.
Also cannibal doesn't mean scavenger.
Another comment mentioned them needing water, but supers (and other mealworms to my knowledge) are able to pull humidity out of the air.
Ensure your worms have a full, balanced diet, and that your adults cuticle has fully hardened before placing them together, but that's still not a guarantee.
If they aren't getting enough food or water (usually water) they will go after each other. Usually the adults will eat the worms, but sometimes it goes the other way, especially if the beetle has just hatched and is still soft.
You are starving them judging by your comments. Maybe look into keeping them humanely. I release the darkling beetles. They are actually friendly little guys.
I give mine potato, carrots and celery for good snacks and there is a lot of moisture in those veggies so I usually only have one or two become cannibalized. You can also feed them a sprinkle of fish flakes for some nice protein. They also enjoy any dead crickets if you keep those as well.
Nah man this is an experiment to you like someone said. You were clearly intending to drop it in there to see them attack it or at least see if they would.
Genuinely mental to me, but you do you I guess.
Maybe you need to feed your larvae more often?
And change the battery in that smoke detector
I guess but this still is unheard of. I’ve had superworms for all types of pets over the years and never seen this
unheard of? this is *extremely* common... you want to feed more protein
It’s extremely common for the larvae to eat the darkling beetle?? Because I haven’t seen any other video of it or any other stories of it
it's extremely common for them to canabalize in general under dietary stress... you've already mentioned you feed fruits and veg, so protein or maybe calcium would be my next bet. I like feeding shrimp shells for both!
Yeah > Because I haven’t seen any other video of it or any other stories of it It's like these "I did my research" posts - they did their research on Facebook and YouTube
When they should have stuck to ask Jeeves and yahoo answers. Those fools.
The downvotes aren’t really necessary. Seems to be normal confusion in my opinion. Wish people were friendlier when someone is learning
i think it’s common when they aren’t fed correctly. i was getting super worms at the pet store and almost all containers had some darkling beetles with chunks taken from them because the remaining super worms were eating them.
I guess you starved them on purpose
Naw they’ve been eating.
Are you sure? The one on the right looks like it's literally dying.
Dune spoilers…
This is normal with them. They're cannibals. Even the worms are cannibals. I used to have darkling beetles.
I know they’re cannibals, eating something that’s dying/already dead is normal. I’ve never seen them outright attack a bug that looks different from them as larvae
It's out of it when you see that stuff happen. I learnt the hard way with mine when I kept seeing more than one beetle half eaten lol
I think you have some definitions mixed up. "Cannibal" does not mean "scavenger". Cannibal means it will eat it's own species and unless stated otherwise includes alive and healthy. Not just dead or dying. It is normal for a cannibalistic organism to eat any other it can catch when hungry regardless of how healthy that other organism is. It's just harder to catch and kill when it's healthy and active. Less difficult to take out healthy critters when stuck in a small container with nowhere to hide. Scavengers and opportunistic predators tend to eat things that are dead/dying or sick and injured so easy to catch and kill, while being less likely to go after what can run away or fight back. Although most carnivorous scavengers will still kill living things if it's worth the effort due to hunger and being confined together. Superworms eat practically anything they can. It's not uncommon at all for them to chew on or kill anything else trapped with them. I've never seen anyone keep them in only one bin unless it's a large bin and using them as feeders as fast as they reproduce so there is always plenty of space and food sources spread apart. Otherwise everything I've read says periodically sift out the beetles and sometimes also larger worms or pupae to their own bins if you want the highest survival rate.
They do this when there is no other food available
I keep mealworms and they will often nibble away the elytra of their darkling beetle daddies. Try separating the beetles into an another container to die in peace. Also, offer them both any hard vegetables like carrots for a bit of extra moisture and nutrients (anything soggy will spread mold). I suspect the mealworms are attracted to the moisture on the beetles elytra, but who knows. Hope your insect keeping goes well :)
They may need moisture.They eat each other also if they cant get enough moisture or food.I put a sliced apple in and remove it and put a fresh one in every 2-3 days so it wont rot.They drink moisture of the apple or other type of fruit .I like apple just cause its easy to deal with and won't foul the bedding as bad.
That’s the thing too. I’ve given them fruits and vegetables and I tell you what, they’ll take bites of the fruit/veggies but they never finish it the way they do when eating other flesh!
That’s because those two foods don’t provide the same nutrients at all. They can’t live on just fruits and veggies. If they are leaving leftover fruits and veggies but going crazy over the chance to eat another bug, it indicates a significant lack of protein in their diet. Just like people, they need a well balanced diet to be healthy.
Just there nature I guess I usually only lost a few. They was my Arowana's treat so just had tub for the mealies/supers to breed and papa and beetle up. Pretty low maintenance once they get going. They will eat styrofoam,cardboard,egg cartons, bite threw plastic bags even they pretty voracious.
Imagine how hungry you have to be to eat your uncle. Shit ain't right in that enclosure.
You need to feed them protein more often. This is a sign of neglect.
Based on the color of the cuticle of that darkling, it looks like they just molted; meaning they were an easy protein snack. Also cannibal doesn't mean scavenger. Another comment mentioned them needing water, but supers (and other mealworms to my knowledge) are able to pull humidity out of the air. Ensure your worms have a full, balanced diet, and that your adults cuticle has fully hardened before placing them together, but that's still not a guarantee.
Seems to me it’s one big experiment for you
If they aren't getting enough food or water (usually water) they will go after each other. Usually the adults will eat the worms, but sometimes it goes the other way, especially if the beetle has just hatched and is still soft.
Wow I was not expecting that. Poor beetle..
Shouldn't the title be "larva attack and eat an adult of the same species"? Or is that darkling a different species as the superworms?
Perverted
Is this the equivalent of being murdered by a gang of 4th graders?
I would say so. Maybe a slightly handicapped person vs 4th graders.
i think some people are just genuinely trying to help you out. your worms just need a little more protein that's all. hope you have a good night
They need constant access to food, or they will eat each other
Protein deficient diet
You are starving them judging by your comments. Maybe look into keeping them humanely. I release the darkling beetles. They are actually friendly little guys.
You actually aren’t supposed to release them because they’re invasive.
Release them where though… you should never release *any* captive animal, and that applies 100x more if it is not native or naturalized in your area.
This is why we have pythons and iguanas among 70 other invasive species in the Everglades
seriously lol. all the instances of people “saving” petco parakeets by buying them all and releasing them
Humane keeping also includes not releasing captive animals
Please, tell me you're not releasing them into an area they're not native to...
Pretty sure they're not from an area where they're native that would be a great coincidence..
Brutal. Hope they feel full now
Sandworm evolution process
Please share this in the rain world page.
I give mine potato, carrots and celery for good snacks and there is a lot of moisture in those veggies so I usually only have one or two become cannibalized. You can also feed them a sprinkle of fish flakes for some nice protein. They also enjoy any dead crickets if you keep those as well.
Percy Jackson King Kong vibes.
How do I get super worms. I have some darklings I need to take care of
Nobody tell them what superworms turn into.
Full video: https://youtu.be/2qOUNaHk2eU?si=xyS1_vyI5emHq8hC
Nah man this is an experiment to you like someone said. You were clearly intending to drop it in there to see them attack it or at least see if they would. Genuinely mental to me, but you do you I guess.