Weird bug found in my mealworm bin?(PIC)

[madokamami]

I found a black bug crawling around in ny mealworm bin. Can anyone tell me what it is?

 

[KirkHammet101]

Hey, I know this probaly is not very helpful, but i found the same little type of bug crawling around when I bought my crickets. I am not quite sure what it is, but I will research it, if I find answers I will let ya know.

 

[Gail]

Can't remember the name but thats what mealworms turn into. The hatch as the worms, morph into pupae then hatch out as the beetles. The beetles breed then lay eggs that hatch back out into worms to start the cycle all over again. They are super easy to breed.

the beetles in with crickets are different, those are Dermestes and are very helpful at keeping cricket bins clean.

 

[KirkHammet101]

Found an answer!
It could be a Dermestid Beetle, if you look it up caterpillars will probaly pop up in the image section because turns out these beetles molt into caterpillar, I did not necessarily do any type of extensive research all I know is that you should probaly just throw the beetles out.

 

[CooperDragon]

I agree, that's a darkling beetle that was once a mealworm. They're not likely to cause any problems if you keep them around. Based on the photo you have another one that is about to morph. They get a bit puffy and have rough edges on the side when they are about to transform into beetles. Superworms do the same thing. When they transform I put the beetles into my dubia roach tank to help clean things up a bit.

 

[Gail]

I've fed the beetles to my dragon, they are nice and crunchy Only bigger dragons though as they are quite hard.

 

[CooperDragon]

Feeding the beetles is a good option too (for older dragons as mentioned). They make a crunchy treat. They aren't super nutritious from what I've read but the crunchiness may be beneficial for their teeth and gum health.