Meal worms were reared and tested as food for pentatomid predator. Meal worms are a pest on stored agricultural product. Non-flying adult meal worms were separated by examining the genitalia. Females laid about 65 eggs each amongst their food. The egg stage was 7 days. Batches of 100-200 larvae were reared on rice germ in 10x15 cm plastic boxes. The length of the head was used to distinguish between the 8 larval stages. Larvae pupated in the foodstuff for 7 days.

Pentatomid predators had a barrel-like egg shape. The nymph stage had 5 instars of 3, 4, 3.5, 3.5 and 5 days. Each instar had different external characteristics. The adult age was 26 and 28 days for males and females respectively. Copulation occurred after 7 days, with 9 hours of coupling. Eggs were laid 2 days later. Each female, caged with 2-4 males, could lay 2-6 times. Unfed nymphs and adults could survive for 3-12 days. Nine to ten meal worm larvae of the fifth to eighth stages were fed upon by the nymphs and adult stages of the pentatomid predators.