Nutrition Commons^™

Effects Of Polystrene Foam On The Growth And Development Of Darkling Beetles (Tenebrio Molitor), Nick Langlois

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

The growing field of entomoremediation explores the use of insects and other invertebrates as biological agents for the natural removal of hazardous substances, and recent research has investigated the potential for using mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) to digest and decompose polystyrene. Two experiments conducted over two years tested the tolerance of mealworm populations to the inclusion of polystyrene in their diet, and the ability of these diets to support multi-generational populations. The first experiment compared mealworms raised on a diet of 100% polystyrene foam with mealworms raised on a control diet of wheat bran and potatoes. The second experiment …