Influence of local agro waste substrates on pupation performance, pupal survival, and adult emergence of tenebrio molitor in Uganda.
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Date
2026
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Busitema University
Abstract
This study evaluated the influence of 11 locally available agro-waste substrate treatments on pupation performance and adult emergence of Tenebrio molitor under ambient laboratory conditions at Busitema University, Arapai Campus. Each treatment consisted of 150 larvae distributed among three replicates of 50 larvae. The study recorded pupation rate, adult emergence rate as an indicator of survival from pupa to adult, time to first pupation, and time to first adult emergence. The experimental environment was not artificially controlled; the recorded mean temperature was 25.0 ± 2.0 °C (range 22.0–28.5 °C) and mean relative humidity was 65.0 ± 5.0% (range 55.0–75.0%). Pupation and adult emergence rates were compared among treatments using one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's HSD where the omnibus test was significant. Treatment had a significant effect on pupation rate, F (10, 22) = 20.88, p < .001, and adult emergence rate, F (10, 22) = 4.35, p = .002. Treatment 8 (50% brewer's spent grain + 50% maize bran) recorded the highest numerical pupation rate (43.85 ± 11.57%) and adult emergence rate (67.55 ± 18.49%), together with the earliest mean time to first pupation (52.33 ± 4.16 days) and first adult emergence (60.33 ± 4.16 days) among treatments with successful development. However, T8 was not significantly different from T3 for pupation, and no individual adult-emergence pair remained significant after Tukey adjustment. Treatments T4, T5, T6 and T10 recorded no pupation or adult emergence. The findings indicate that substrate composition was associated with developmental performance under the ambient conditions of the experiment, with the 50:50 brewer's spent grain–maize bran treatment showing the strongest overall observed performance. The results provide baseline information for evaluating locally available substrates for mealworm rearing in Uganda.
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Undergraduate Research Report
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Kirabo, M. (2026). Influence of local agro waste substrates on pupation performance, pupal survival, and adult emergence of tenebrio molitor in Uganda. [Unpublished undergraduate research report]. Busitema University.