Effects of Different Vegetables Supplement on the Growth and Development of Superworm ( <i>Zophobas Morio F.</i> ) in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT Superworm ( Zophobas morio F. ), the larva of the darkling beetle, is a widely used source of sustainable insect‐based protein for animal feed and organic waste biodegradation. Its growth and development are strongly influenced by diet composition, especially the inclusion of vegetables. In Bangladesh, superworm growers commonly use wheat bran supplemented with vegetables for rearing; however, information on the most suitable vegetable for mass production is still lacking. To find the best vegetable supplement, a laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the effects of six vegetables viz. cucumber, pumpkin, bottle gourd, pointed gourd, snake gourd and radish with wheat bran (WB) as main feed. Results showed that wheat bran without any vegetable supplement had lowest larval performance, shortest larval length (3.20 ± 0.07 cm), lowest fresh weight (0.30 ± 0.01 g) and dry matter (0.14 ± 0.01 g), and 100% larval mortality. Consequently, no pupation, adult emergence, or reproduction occurred in larvae reared on sole wheat bran. Among the vegetables supplemented treatments, the WB + bottle gourd diet consistently outperformed others, producing the highest larval fresh weight (0.77 ± 0.02 g), dry weight (0.30 ± 0.01 g) and lowest mortality rates in larvae (1.67%), pupae (7.41%) and adults (3.70%). In contrast, WB + pointed gourd diet resulted in relatively lower larval growth and the highest pupal (40.7%) and adult (22.2%) mortality. The bottle gourd supplement also yielded the highest number of viable offspring (19.33 ± 3.71 per female). Besides, highest amount of larval frass (5.70 ± 0.13 g) was excreted in WB + bottle gourd diet. These findings highlight the critical role of vegetable supplementation in superworm diet, particularly the use of bottle gourd, which can significantly enhance the large scale superworm production.