| Zophobas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Zophobas atratus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Tenebrionidae |
| Tribe: | Tenebrionini |
| Genus: | Zophobas Blanchard, 1845 |
| Species | |
See text | |
Zophobas is a genus of beetles in the family Tenebrionidae, the darkling beetles. [1] [2] They occur in the Americas, from the Neotropics into southernmost United States. [2] In Cuba beetles of this genus are known as blind click-beetles. [3]
Perhaps the best known species is Zophobas morio , synonymously known as Zophobas atratus, a beetle whose larvae are robust mealworms sold as food for pets [4] such as lizards. The larvae are known commonly as "superworms". [5] Superworms should not be confused with darkling beetle mealworms sprayed with juvenile hormone. [6] Studies have found that in the wild the larvae sometimes live in bat guano, and they tend to cannibalize the pupae of their own species. [7] Researchers have discovered that the larvae can subsist on a diet solely of polystyrene (Styrofoam). [8]