Title : “Growth, survival, and offspring output of superworms (Zophobas morio F) on various waste types”
Abstract:
Superworms (Zophobas morio F.) show significant potential as waste-degradingorganisms for various materials, including polystyrene. Waste management has remained a longterm global dilemma, posing a major threat to environmental sustainability and contributingtoclimate change due to the inevitable increase of plastic and organic waste. However, limitedresearch exists on how waste types affect their reproduction. This study determined and comparedthe pupal development, adult development, and offspring output of superworms on various wastetypes utilizing the true experimental setup laid out in a posttest-only RCBD and analyzed usingthe Statistical Tool for Agricultural Research (STAR). Thirty (30) superworms for each four (4) replications of the three (3) waste types: (W1) vegetable peels, (W2) polystyrene foams, (W3) combination of vegetable peels and polystyrene foams, and (C4) oatmeal as the control group, respectively, were used in this study. The study showed that vegetable peels were the most effective waste type for pupal development, along with polystyrene foams. For adult development, oatmeal supported greater adult longevity, while vegetable peels promoted greater adult weight, and a combination of vegetable peels and polystyrene foams promoted greater adult size. Wastetypes had no significant effect on sexual dimorphism, though minor differences in sex ratios wereobserved. In terms of offspring output, oatmeal promoted greater offspring weight and size, but vegetable peels yielded the highest individual count. The findings concluded that waste typecomposition can determine the development and reproductive sustainability of superworms, withimplications for strategies in waste management, circular economies, and agriculture.
Keywords: pupal development, adult development, offspring output, vegetable peels, polystyrene foams
