Super Worms Life Cycle

Pages 124 and 125

Life Cycle • A super worm is actually in it’s larval stage when it is a worm. • As an adult, the super worm turns into a beetle. – Other names are flour or grain beetle.

Life Cycle

• There are 4 parts to each super worm life cycle. • Egg  Larva  Pupa  Adult • The first part of the life cycle only lasts from 3 months.

The Egg • Small and white • Hard to see • They hatch in a couple of days!!! • Shortest part of the life cycle.

• http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=0Sh9ZnYE3 M0

Larval Cycle • The longest part of the cycle. • This is when it is a worm. • The worm sheds it’s exoskeleton lots of times. This is called molting. The last MOLT turns into the pupae!!!

– This makes it grow one section each time.

Pupae • This is the stage when metamorphosis takes place! • The super worms will begin to curl inwards. Their head will curl towards their tail. • They make a cocoon out of silk! It will harden and make a shell. • This stage takes about 1014 days. • A beetle will emerge when it’s done!

The last stage- Adult • First they are white/yellow and soft. • Then they harden and turn from white to black! • Adult beetles live for 3-15 years. • During this time the female beetles need to lay eggs. • They lay about 500 eggs!!!

Compare

Finish the following pages • 116, 121, 122 (molting). • Page 2 of your Superworm Booklets. – We are on day 5!