Giant Mealworms vs. Superworms?

[leid]

These things look exactly the same. Why is one bad and the other isn't to feed your cham?

Fred LOVES superworms btw. He ate my entire 12 ct. today. I'm happy.

 

[sandrachameleon]

They dont look exactly the same to me. Giant mealworms are just mealworms artificially grown oversize, and are not recommended. Superworms are a different larva, different beetle (related no doubt, but different) Perhaps the store you bought from doesnt use the correct name on one of them? Superworms are properly called, i think, Zophobas morio.

 

[leid]

Sandra--

Well I just did a google image search of giant mealworms and superworms, and they really look the same to me.

Picture of giant mealworm:

Picture of Superworm:

 

[sandrachameleon]

Im seeing two pictures of superworms. I suspect the store (and at least one internet image) is calling those giant mealworms, when they are just superworms.

When rearing mealworms, some commercial growers incorporate hormones into the food which ensure growth of the larva, while preventing Metamorphosis....
to achieve an abnormal length of 2 cm or greater and sell as superworms.
photo at: http://www.nyworms.com/giant_meal_worms.htm

 

[YoshiTheVeiled]

I remember reading somewhere that Superworms have the dark head and tail where as giant mealworms are more uniform in color.

 

[sandrachameleon]

That's true. Zophobas have darker heads. Kinda darker in general

 

[leid]

Okay. I was asking this question because today at a pet store (not petco) I was with my best friend who has two bearded dragons, and we were looking for reptile supplies since it was a going out of business sale. Well they had the live feeders section, and they had advertised superworms as giant mealworms and I was like WHAT? I thought petco had screwed up and I had just fed my chameleon eight giant mealworms!

Thanks you guys!

 

[Syn]

Oh dear GOD I have been buying large superworms! CRAP!

 

[leid]

SEE!!!

i have a right mind to march down there and tell them wtf they're doing. ... tomorrow.

Unless I didn't get the sarcasm.

 

[Syn]

No I'm quite serious. I asked if they were large mealworms today, they said possibly, that they weren't sure.

 

[leid]

Ugh. Pet stores are so stupid sometimes.

They had a dwarf leaf chameleon in the WORST CONDITION EVER. Fred poops like every other day. In -this- tank there was poop ALL over the fake vines, no uvb bulb, and a SPIDER WEB in the corner, along with a water dish. Isn't that horrible? The little thing was sitting on a rock with his eyes shut.

 

[Syn]

Agh.. yeah I've seen stuff like that.. makes me want to cry..

 

[desultadox]

I think calling Superworms "Giant mealworms" is actually a pretty common event. I believe it originated from pet stores neither knowing nor caring about the difference between the two, and they do mostly appear like large mealworms. Many stores and sites now will clarify with the scientific name because of all the confusion from the past. I guess the confusion still exists in some places.

 

[Syn]

Especially PETSMART!

 

[leid]

on a brighter note, petco seems on top of it.

 

[Syn]

on a brighter note, petco seems on top of it.

I need to find a close one. Grr.

 

[mickey]

Scientifically Large mealworm (giants) are posted as the same thing as Supers by the ignorant! They are 2 different Species:

Super worms - Scientific - "Zophobas Morio"

Golden Meal Worms -Giant
if you want to call them
that!----------Scientific - "Tenebrio Molitor"

 

[leid]

Well at least you know what supers look like now, so you can tell off petsmart when they try to sell them off as giant mealworms.

What are you feeding giant mealworms to? You got another reptile?

 

[WelshOneEmma]

In the UK they sell Morio worms, which i assume is another name for superworms?

 

[YoshiTheVeiled]

In the UK they sell Morio worms, which i assume is another name for superworms?

Morio?