Source: DTE
Context: Researchers at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Kenya have discovered that the Kenyan lesser mealworm larvae can degrade polystyrene plastic, offering a potential solution to plastic pollution.
About Mealworm Larvae:
- Species: The Kenyan lesser mealworm is the larval form of the Alphitobius darkling beetle.
- Habitat: Found in poultry rearing houses; thrives in warm, food-rich environments.
- Plastic Consumption: Capable of degrading polystyrene with assistance from gut bacteria like Proteobacteria and Firmicutes.
- Significance: Shows potential for scalable solutions to plastic degradation without direct release of insects into the environment.
Plastic-Decomposing Insects:
- Yellow Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor): Break down polystyrene with gut bacteria.
- Superworms (Zophobas morio): Known to digest synthetic plastics like polystyrene.
- Kenyan Lesser Mealworm: The first African-native species identified to degrade polystyrene.
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