What do you know about the superworm?


Zophobas morio a specie of the dark beetle, the larvae of this specie popularly called as the superworm or kingworm, is mostly known for its nutritional value and is a great source of protein to most reptiles and as such, is usually used by pet owners to feed their reptile pets.


But it could be more than just "food". The superworm could be a solution to plastic waste.


In 2016, a group of high schoolers from the Ateneo de Manila University made a discovery that could be life changing. During their observation, they discovered that The larvae of Zophobas Morio could be used as a source of plastic waste disposal, as the larvae were observed to be able to consume polystyrene foam (This is one of the most commonly used plastics, with a production rate scaling several million tonnes every year).

Polystyrene in the gut of a Z. morio beetle larva. Credit: The University of Queensland

mmon Zophobas morio “superworm” can eat through polystyrene. Credit: The University of Queenslan


Further research by an Australian microbiologist Christian Rinke proved that within the gut of this larvae is a gut bacteria that is able to breakdown this plastic into smaller molecules to make them easier to digest for the larvae.


So the big question now is, why hasn't this been introduced to help combat plastic waste?.


A test experiment done by Rinke and his team showed that solely depending on just plastic is a bit unhealthy for the larvae.


Research is still ongoing to see how the material that digest the plastic can be extracted without endangering the Zophobas Morio.



Reference: Christian Rinke research material