Using Mealworms (Arthropoda: Tenebrionidae) to Prepare Rat Skeleton

Abstract

In anatomy, various methods such as boiling, maceration, and dissection are used to prepare the skeleton. However, while the existing methods are used in the skeleton preparation stage of small animals, the integrity of the skeleton is impaired, and there are difficulties in the reassembly of the bones. For this reason, it is planned to create small animal skeletons without loss and damage by using mealworms. In the study, 1100 mealworms (Arthropoda: Dermestidae) with a total weight of approximately 110 grams and three rat carcasses with a weight of approximately 177 grams were used. To observe the carcass cleaning performance of the mealworms, the initial weight and final weight of the carcass were measured with a precision scale. It was observed that on days of 3rd-5th, the meat on the rib was eaten and the ribs appeared. The vertebral column became more evident in the 6th-8th days. In the 6th-9th days, the ribs were completely cleared, and the extremity bones were visible. The skull and extremities were evident in all their details between the 9th-12th days. At the end of the 15th day, it was determined that mealworms had completely exposed the rat skeleton. As a result, in this study, it was observed that approximately 1100 mealworms consumed 159 g of meat in 15 days, resulting in a lossless and undamaged rat skeleton. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of creating small animal skeleton using mealworms were determined in this study.