Abstract
Parental feeding of adult T. destructor affects the rate of development and mortality of offspring: adults fed on 85% or 75% flour had larvae with a lower mortality rate than larvae of adults fed on 60% flour. The rates of development of surviving larvae of adults fed on 60% and 75% flour were identical, and slower than larvae of adults fed on 85% flour. Handling lengthened the development period and tended to increase variability.