What is the difference between superworms vs mealworms?

Nowadays, many regions at home and abroad are developing breeding projects, and there are very many kinds of breeding. In addition to the common farming of cattle, sheep, and pigs, there is also special farming of worms. And the main ones that belong to feed mealworms, superworms, etc. are worms. There is great value in mealworms. So what is the difference between superworms vs mealworms? Let’s learn more about it.

Differences superworms vs mealworms

1. Different species

The barley worm is a super mealworm! It is a new species crossed from yellow mealworm (mealworm) and black mealworm.

2. Different appearance

The barley worm is 3-4 times bigger than the general yellow mealworm (mealworm). The yield is 5 times more than the yellow mealworm (mealworm), and the nutritional value is far more than the yellow mealworm (mealworm).

Yellow mealworms, flattened long oval, body length (13.02±0.91) mm, body (4.11±0.33) mm.

Superworms, length about 25-30 mm, width about 8 mm.

3. Different prices

The current cost of raising barley worms can be basically comparable to yellow mealworms. But the market price of superworms is nearly four times higher than that of yellow mealworms.

4. Dissimilar breeding difficulties

Barleyworm is more difficult to raise than yellow mealworms. Especially during pupation, superworms also need to be raised separately. At the same time, barley worms are also in very good condition and have a much higher survival rate. Therefore, breeding mealworms are different from raising superworms.

5. Different origins

The barley worm was introduced from Southeast Asian countries, originally from South Africa and Central Africa, and only in recent years was it introduced from Southeast Asian countries in China.

The mealworm was originally from North America, it was introduced to China by the Soviet Union in the 1950s.

6. Different living habits

Superworms like to swarm. They go to eat at 13 ℃. The optimum temperature of their growth and development is 24 ~ 30 ℃. They will die below 5 ℃ and above 35 ℃.

For mealworms, the appropriate temperature of insect larvae is 13 ~ 32 ℃. The optimum temperature for their growth and development is 25 ~ 29 ℃. Below 0 ℃ or above 35 ℃, they have the risk of death by freezing or heat.

Uses of superworms vs mealworms

Barley worms and mealworms are the most ideal feed insects for artificial farming.

The larvae of barley worm contain 51% crude protein and 29% fat, and also contain a variety of sugars, amino acids, vitamins, hormones, enzymes, and minerals such as phosphorus, iron, potassium, sodium, and calcium. With the advantages of high nutritional value, rich nutrition, easy digestion, and good palatability, barley worm began to be gradually used for raising frogs, turtles, scorpions, centipedes, snakes, high-quality fish, ornamental birds, medicinal animals, precious fur animals, and rare livestock and poultry.

Yellow mealworm is rich in protein, amino acids, fat, fatty acids, sugar, trace elements, vitamins, chitin, zinc, iron, copper, etc. It can be used as an excellent feed for medicinal animals such as scorpions, centipedes, mealybugs, snakes, frogs and fish, livestock, and rare birds. Using the mealworms as the feed, these animals grow fast, molt easily, have a high survival rate, and are resistant to diseases. In addition, after special processing, mealworms can also be used as raw materials for human food and health care products and medicines.

Can people eat mealworms?

Because the mealworm is rich in high protein nutrition, it usually not only is the feed but also can be said to be very good food. Compared to the usual eggs and beef, eating them in the mouth is better for digestion. So there is no big problem with eating them. Before, German supermarket launches the “mealworm burger”, which is very popular.

And there are many benefits to eating this, rich in ingredients and good taste. It also has a good health effect and is rich in many amino acids that the human body needs.

At the same time, it can also be used as a medical treatment to give the skin a very good effect. It can also effectively relieve skin diseases. Moreover, it can prevent cancer. Thus, it has many effects and is worth trying to eat mealworm foods.