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Superworms Clean Skeletons Efficiently, Safer Than Beetles

7/2/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers Fatemeh Rastekar and colleagues published a July 1, 2026 PLOS One paper showing superworm larvae can clean skeletons.
They placed superworms on specimens ranging from a nine-gram rousette to a 4.2-kilogram wolf.
A load of 10–15 grams per gram of specimen achieved fastest cleaning without bone damage.
The study reports that superworms need a 10–12-week larval stage and have lower infestation risk than dermestid beetles.

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Story summary

Researchers Fatemeh Rastekar and colleagues published a July 1, 2026 PLOS One paper showing superworm larvae can clean skeletons.
They placed superworms on specimens ranging from a nine-gram rousette to a 4.2-kilogram wolf.
A load of 10–15 grams per gram of specimen achieved fastest cleaning without bone damage.
The study reports that superworms need a 10–12-week larval stage and have lower infestation risk than dermestid beetles.