The mealworm dietary exposure lifecycle test: A potential model system in environmental risk assessments

SETAC NA 2023 -- The mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, is a holometabolous insect that lives in flour, bran and similar products. Owing to their use in large-scale conversion of plant biomass to protein, they are gaining status as an economically beneficial insect. Their ability to thrive under lab conditions, makes them an ideal candidate system for EIA testing. In this study, we explored necessary procedures required for conducting a higher-tiered GLP Lab test to evaluate the effects of a test substance in a diet on the survival and reproduction of the mealworm.