Could Mysterious “Worm” be a Mealworm?

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A reader sent us a photograph and asked the classic question, “What is this worm?” He instructed us to zoom in on the specimen in order to see the details of its physical appearance. Our reader didn’t provide any other information, so the photograph is the only clue we have! This is the picture:

We think the creature is small, but how small we cannot say for sure. We don’t have anything to compare its size to in the photo, like a finger or a coin, but we assume it is less than an inch long. The creature has a light brown/orange-colored body with a dark brown/red-colored head. It has three sets of tiny legs. Since it has legs, we believe that this specimen is not actually a worm. We believe that this specimen is probably some type of larvae, but determining what type of larvae it is will be quite a challenge.

Without more information from our reader, it is difficult to identify this larvae. Since most household pest larvae eat and live in specific places, additional information about where our reader found this creature in his home would be extremley useful. For example, pantry moth larvae eat stored grains and so are usually discovered in the kitchen or pantry.

Based on the picture alone, we think that this creature might be a mealworm. Mealworms are the larvae of the mealworm beetle. These larvae can be considered pests because they eat stored grains. However, we aren’t convinced that this is definitely what our reader is dealing with. Mealworms are often skinny and have clearly segmented bodies, not like the round body of the specimen in this photo. Of course, some larvae of the same species simply look different!

In conclusion, one of our readers discovered a small larvae in his home. We think this might be a mealworm, but we aren’t totally sure. If any of our other readers recognize this specimen, we invite them to comment below!

 

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Could Mysterious "Worm" be a Mealworm?
Article Name
Could Mysterious "Worm" be a Mealworm?
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One of our readers discovered a small larvae in his home. We think this might be a mealworm, but we aren't totally sure.
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Author: Worm Researcher Dori

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