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Nature’s Plastic Predators: A Comprehensive and Bibliometric Review of Plastivore Insects
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This comprehensive review identifies over 23 insect species across multiple orders capable of degrading plastic polymers, proposing that plastic-degrading enzymes are likely evolutionary repurposings of enzymes originally used to digest natural materials like lignin, beeswax, and chitin—insights that could inform engineering of robust enzymes for large-scale plastic bioremediation.
Unprecedented plastic production has resulted in over six billion tons of harmful waste. Certain insect taxa emerge as potential agents of plastic biodegradation. Through a comprehensive manual and bibliometric literature analysis, this review analyses and consolidates the growing literature related to insect-mediated plastic breakdown. Over 23 insect species, representing Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and 4 other orders, have been identified for their capacity to consume plastic polymers. Natural and synthetic polymers exhibit high-level similarities in molecular structure and properties. Thus, in conjunction with comparative genomics studies, we link plastic-degrading enzymatic capabilities observed in certain insects to the exaptation of endogenous enzymes originally evolved for digesting lignin, cellulose, beeswax, keratin and chitin from their native dietary substrates. Further clarification is necessary to distinguish mineralisation from physicochemical fragmentation and to differentiate microbiome-mediated degradation from direct enzymatic reactions by insects. A bibliometric analysis of the exponentially growing body of literature showed that leading research is emerging from China and the USA. Analogies between natural and synthetic polymer's degradation pathways will inform engineering robust enzymes for practical plastic bioremediation applications. By aggregating, analysing, and interpreting published insights, this review consolidates our mechanistic understanding of insects as a potential natural solution to the escalating plastic waste crisis.
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Integrative frameworks for plastic biodegradation in insect–microbiome systems: mechanistic insights, emerging multi-omics and enzyme engineering perspectives
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Certain insect larvae (like mealworms) can chew up and break down plastic with help from bacteria living in their guts, offering a possible natural solution to our massive plastic waste problem. This review pulls together what scientists currently know about how this works — a team effort between the insect's own body and its gut microbes — though it's still unclear exactly how much the plastic is being fully broken down versus just partially altered. The bigger payoff: understanding these natural processes could help researchers engineer better enzymes to break down plastic waste at scale, which matters because plastic pollution and the microplastics it creates are increasingly showing up in our food, water
Revolutionizing Plastic Waste Management: A Bibliometric Analysis of Superworm and Mealworm Biodegradation Potential
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Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of studies on superworms (Zophobas morio) and mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) as plastic biodegradation agents, finding rapid growth in publications from 2019–2024 and highlighting these insects' enzymatic potential as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional plastic waste management.
Recent Advances in Degradation of Polymer Plastics by Insects Inhabiting Microorganisms
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This review examined the ability of insects, including wax moths (Galleria mellonella) and mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), to biodegrade plastic polymers, summarizing mechanistic findings on gut microbiome-mediated degradation. Several insect species demonstrated measurable polyethylene and polystyrene mass loss, though degradation rates remain too slow for large-scale waste management applications.
Can the insects Galleria mellonella and Tenebrio molitor be the future of plastic biodegradation?
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This review examines recent discoveries about how wax moth and mealworm larvae can break down common plastics using enzymes in their saliva and gut microorganisms. Researchers found that these insects offer a promising biological alternative to traditional plastic disposal methods like landfilling and incineration, which themselves contribute to microplastic pollution. The study highlights key challenges including the need for standardized testing methods and proposes innovative ideas like using insects as living bioreactors for plastic waste processing.
Beyond Coleoptera and Lepidoptera: Emerging Insect Orders in Plastic Degradation
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This review summarizes existing research on insects beyond beetles and moths that interact with plastics. Cockroaches, crickets, termites, black soldier flies and midges have been shown to fragment, chemically alter or partially digest plastics, sometimes aided by gut microbes, but full breakdown into harmless substances has not been confirmed in most species.
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