Effects of density factor on growth and development of old-age larvae of the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) under different food conditions

Old-age larvae of the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) were reared by two different diets,the practical diet and the complex diet, at densities of 0.6,1.2,1.8,2.4 and 3.0 individuals/ cm3 respectively. The effects of larval density on larval survival,mass,and pupal mass were studied in this paper. The results indicated the effect of density factor on old-age larvae was significant, the larval survival rate, larval mass, pupal mass and emergence rate in low densities were obviously larger than those in high densities when reared by two different diet, while the difference existed among the parameters under two different diet conditions.