Where do darkling beetles go in winter?
Most species of darkling beetles are active above ground from spring to late fall. With the onset of winter weather, some species seek shelter below ground in burrows of other animals and remain there until warmer weather returns in the spring. Other species of darkling beetles do not live through the winter as adults. They lay eggs in the soil during warm weather and die with the onset of freezing. Their eggs hatch into larvae when warm weather returns. These larvae live in the soil for up to two years before the adults emerge to eat and reproduce. “Science is constructed of facts as a house is of stones. But a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house.” Henri Poincare Keep in mind this fact sheet is intended to be used only as background information to support your effort to encourage inquiry-based science, which parallels the way scientists uncover knowledge and solve problems. Raise a flour beetle. Here’s how: Mealworms are the larval stage of the da
