# Nutritional value of flour beetle larvae



## RussS (Oct 11, 2005)

How does the nutritional value of flour beetle larvae compare to waxworms? I've not found anything definitive in searches on the net or within the forum. Flour beetles seem to be a lot easier to raise and harvest than waxworms. (Scoop, tap, dust, tap, bam v.s. pick, pick, pick, pick, catch the one crawling out, pick, pick...) If the two provide roughly the same nutrition, I'd be tempted to dump my waxworm cultures.
Thanks in advance for any insights.
---Russ


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Well right off I can tell you waxworms have more fat less chitin compared to similar sized RFB larvae. They basically ARE fat which is why they are a great treat and help fatten up a frog, but wouldn't make it for a staple.

Then again, the best PDF diet doesn't have a staple, but is rather a mix of as many different foods as you can get, variety, different nutritional contents (different kinds of bugs, such as FFs, crix, waxies, aphids, termites, not lots of closely related things like 5 species of FF). Unfortunately this takes as much if not more time to take care of than the frogs themselves!


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## RussS (Oct 11, 2005)

Thanks for the insights, Corey.


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

KeroKero said:


> Well right off I can tell you waxworms have more fat less chitin compared to similar sized RFB larvae. They basically ARE fat which is why they are a great treat and help fatten up a frog, but wouldn't make it for a staple.


I would have thought that waxworms had more chitin than RFB larvae, since chitin is the protein forming the exoskeleton and RFB larvae seem softer to me than waxworms. However that's just my opinion with no data to back it up.

I personally feed RFB larvae once or twice a week, and find that the frogs love both the beetles and the larvae. They definitely help fatten up the frogs. However, I would really like to see some comparative nutritional breakdown as well.


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## EDs Fly Meat (Apr 29, 2004)

I have a paper comparing the two. I just can't find it! Both surprisingly have some pretty good nutrtion to them.
Dave


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Dave,

Do you have the title of the paper??
I would like to see if I have a copy of it somewhere. (If not I want to get a copy of it).

Ed


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## EDs Fly Meat (Apr 29, 2004)

Ed,
When I find it. It's yours.
Dave

p.s. I got a great article on formicine ants and toxins for you as well. :wink:


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Cool.... 

Ed


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## RussS (Oct 11, 2005)

Hi Ed,
I would love to see your comparitive analysis paper. Please let me know if/when you come across it.
Thanks!
----Russ


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