Mealworm beetles (darkling beetles) are prolific breeders. Mating is a three vestige process: 1) The male gives chase until the female relents. 2) The male then mounts the female and curls his genitals (aedagus) underneath himself and inserts it into her genital tract. 3) The male then injects a packet Live Food of semen into the female. Dependent on incubation temperature, just days after mating the female will burrow into soft ground and lays about 500 eggs.

Live foods commonly handy are crickets (both Gryllus bimaculatus and Acheta domesticus commonly), waxworms (Galleria Mellonella), mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), Immense mealworms (Zoophobas morio) and locusts (a number of species are seen commonly). There are however multiplied more species not new such as butter worms, phoenix worms, a variety of cockroach species, silk worms and more. Hornet species are most commonly dedicated to feed small reptiles and amphibians.