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Destruction of polystyrene by larvae (Chevrolat, 1878) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
Summary
This study found that larvae of the darkling beetle Ulomoides dermestoides can destroy expanded polystyrene during feeding, with mass loss rates of 44 to 68% depending on piece size, and smaller pieces being consumed more efficiently. The oxidized polystyrene particles found in larval excrement corresponded to microplastic size classes, offering potential for biological degradation of foam plastic waste.
The larvae of the darkling beetle Ulomoides dermestoides are capable of destroying expanded polystyrene (EPS) during their feeding activity. The degree of destruction varied for EPS pieces of different size classes. For EPS pieces measuring 6×6, 3×3, 1.5×1.5 cm, the mass loss rate was 44.94±1.11, 51.34±2.54, 68.3±3.16%, respectively. A negative correlation was observed between the size class of EPS pieces and their conversion rate. The rate of plastic degradation depended on the age stage of larval development. A significant decrease in the mass of the EPS was noted only after the 4th week of the experiment, when the larvae reached the 5th age. After the destruction process is complete, the oxidized EPS particles in the excrement corresponded to the size class of microplastics (