• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2014

The effect of an artificial diet on developmental rate, a life history parameter, was examined for the swallowtail butterfly Papilio xuthus. Artificial insect diets are an essential component of many insect rearing systems that produce insects for research purposes. Complex agar-gelled diets are generally prepared in large batches and used shortly after preparation because the degradation of perishable diet ingredients, such as vitamins and fatty acids, can adversely affect insect quality (Brewer 1984). However, the timing of diet preparation may be inconvenient, and large batches wasteful, if the unused excess is discarded. The percentage of pupation varied considerably, with no significant differences among diets, on which a maximum pupation percentage of 83% was observed. Pellet-type diets were investigated with the aim of developing a more easily prepared diet. The extrusion of the artificial diet under high temperature and pressure may induce desirable chemical and physical changes in the extruded product. The purpose of the present study was to develop an artificial diet for rearing P. xuthus.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.25-31
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• 2014

Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis (Kolbe) is widely used in Korea, as a protein-rich, alternate, functional food with pharmacological benefits. In addition to anti-oxidant properties, the larvae of P. b. seulensis also show positive effects against hepatic disorder and diabetes; therefore, P. b. seulensis larvae are being reared on a large scale in Korea. We evaluated reared larvae of P. b. seulensis from Gyeong-gi in Korea. Using 16SrRNA PCR, electro-microscopy, and bioassay techniques, we found that the larvae harbored Spo-1, a bacterium identified as the insect pathogen Serratia marcescens. Therefore, we highlight the use of this insect as an alternate food and the need for its sanitary rearing conditions, as contamination may affect public health.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.127-132
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• 2010

We have characterized full-length cDNA encoding Gall-6-tox protein, which was cloned from the fat body of the immunized Galleria mellonella larvae. The cloned cDNA of Gall-6-tox consists of 1301 nucleotides and contained an open reading frame of 891 nucleotides corresponding to a protein of 296 residues that includes a putative 16-residue signal sequence and a 280-residue mature peptide with a calculated mass of 30,707.73 Da. The deduced mature peptide contains conserved tandem repeats of six cysteine-stabilized alpha beta ($Cs{\alpha}{\beta}$) motifs, which was detected in scorpion toxins and insect defensins. In the sequence homology search, mature Gall-6-tox showed 34% and 28% amino acid sequence homology with Bomb-6-tox from Bombyx mori and Spod-11-tox from Spodoptera frugiperda, respectively. Gall-6-tox orthologs were only found in Lepidopteran species, indicating that this new immune-related gene family is specific to this insect order. RT-PCR analysis revealed that Gall-6-tox was expressed primarily in the larval fat bodies, hemocytes, and midgut against invading bacteria into hemocoel. Moreover, the expression time course of Gall-6-tox was examined up to 24 h in the fat bodies and midgut after injection of E. coli. Altogether, these results suggest that Gall-6-tox is derived from defensins and Gall-6-tox may play a critical role in Lepidoptera immune system.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.188-202
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• 2022

In the insect industry, as the scope of application of insects is expanded from pet insects and natural enemies to feed, edible and medicinal insects, the demand for quality control of insect raw materials is increasing, and interest in securing the safety of insect products is increasing. In the process of expanding the industrial scale, controlling the temperature and humidity and air quality in the insect breeding room and preventing the spread of pathogens and other pollutants are important success factors. It requires a controlled environment under the operating system. European commercial insect breeding facilities have attracted considerable investor interest, and insect companies are building large-scale production facilities, which became possible after the EU approved the use of insect protein as feedstock for fish farming in July 2017. Other fields, such as food and medicine, have also accelerated the application of cutting-edge technology. In the future, the global insect industry will purchase eggs or small larvae from suppliers and a system that focuses on the larval fattening, i.e., production raw material, until the insects mature, and a system that handles the entire production process from egg laying, harvesting, and initial pre-treatment of larvae., increasingly subdivided into large-scale production systems that cover all stages of insect larvae production and further processing steps such as milling, fat removal and protein or fat fractionation. In Korea, research and development of insect smart factory farms using artificial intelligence and ICT is accelerating, so insects can be used as carbon-free materials in secondary industries such as natural plastics or natural molding materials as well as existing feed and food. A Korean-style customized breeding system for shortening the breeding period or enhancing functionality is expected to be developed soon.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.87-91
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• 2007

A diverse kind of environment-friendly agricultural materials(EFAM) for the control of insect pests is on the market. These EFAMs are a part of essential sources for the accomplishment of successful, sustainable, and environment-friendly agriculture. Thus, accurate information of these EFAMs is one that required for the success of environment-friendly agriculture, but, in reality, still appropriate information is absolutely in shortage. In this study, we, therefore, tested the efficacy of commercial EFAMs against two lepidopteran insect larvae, the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella(Lepidoptera: plutellidae) and the tobacco cutworm Spodoptera litura(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). After the two insect pests were successfully stabilized in indoor environment the larvicidal activity was tested at $24{\pm}1^{\circ}C$, relative humidity(RH) of $60{\pm}5%$, and a photoperiod of 16L:8D, and mortality was determined 48 hrs after EFAMs are treated. The EFAMs that showed more than 90% of larvicidal activity were each six among 16 against both P. xylostella and S. litura and only three of them showed consistent larvicidal activity against both species, signifying species specificity of EFAMs and importance of selection of proper EFAMs depending on target insect pest.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.33-36
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• 2007

To improve insecticidal activity of B. thuringiensis 2385-1 (Bt 2385-1), a recombinant plasmid, pHT1K-1Ac, was introduced into lepidopteran toxic Bt 2385-1 by electroporation. The presence of the recombinant plasmid in Bt 2385-1 after electroporation was confirmed by PCR. Bt 2385-1 transformant was named as Bt pHT1K-1Ac/2385-1 (1K-1Ac/2385-1). The 1K-1Ac/2385-1 transformant produced bipyramidal-shaped parasporal inclusion as like the wild-type strain, Bt 2385-1, and showed an 130 kDa band of Cry1Ac protein. The insecticidal activity of 1K-lAc/2385-1 against S. exigua was similar to that of Bt 2385-1 but the $LC_{50}$ value of transformant against P. xylostella was 1.8 times lower. Through these bioassay results, it was confirmed that toxicity of Bt 2385-1 transformant showed synergistic effect by introducing Cry1Ac. These results suggested that the multiple expressions of Cry proteins in a promising Bt strain may interact synergistically in insect midgut, resulting in increase of toxicity and expansion of host spectrum.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2013

Baculum elongatum has several peculiarities such as parthenogenesis, unique external features, changing body color, and dropping oviposition, which makes it a potential economically useful insect. Oviposition was performed by females without fertilization by the sperm of males. The oviposition period was $42.2{\pm}22.7$ days and the number of eggs per female was $109.5{\pm}70.5$ eggs. The hatch rate was 73.3% at $25^{\circ}C$ and 66.7% after low temperature treatment ($8^{\circ}C$ for 60 days). In nature, B. elongatum overwinters as an egg, but it can be assumed from the results that cold temperatures were not required for hatching. The hatch rate was 98.2% in the treatment using floral foam, fermented sawdust, and leaves. The developmental period was $100.9{\pm}4.2$ days for eggs, $55.3{\pm}4.6$ days for nymphs, and $49.7{\pm}16.0$ days for adults. The length of the eggs was $0.33{\pm}0.0$ cm and the lengths of the nymphs were clearly distinguishable according to the instar stage. Clover(Trifolium repens) was an excellent diet as it was similar to the host plant and could be used as an alternative diet. The rate of reaching adulthood for the insects was 66.7% on an artificial diet containing 25% acacia leaves. For sustainable mass rearing of nymphs or adults of B. elongatum, a natural diet could be used such as acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia), white oak (Quercus aliena), chestnut (Castanea crenata var. dulcis), and bush clover (Lespedeza bicolor), or an alternative diet such as clover or artificial diet.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.95-106
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of coniferous essential oils (EOs) blended films on insect repellence and crop productivity. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film is widely used, especially in agriculture and for food packaging. Ethylene vinyl acetate was blended with LDPE to reduce volatilization of EOs. An EO from Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) was incorporated into the blend film to conduct field research on antimicrobial and insect repellent properties. Among the various concentrations of EO, the highest concentration (2.5%) showed the highest efficiency in terms of pesticidal activity. The ability to inhibit microbial growth can be explained by the lipophilic properties of the EO component, and many studies have already demonstrated this. Agricultural films containing all types of EO have been tested on various crops such as chili, cucumber, Korean melon and have been able to verify their effectiveness in avoiding pests and increasing yields. From these results, it was found that it is reasonable to use a modified film such as a composite film containing an EO for agriculture. Thus, the modified film containing EO has undoubtedly shown impressive potential for reducing the use of pesticides in a variety of ways, not only for agricultural mulching film but also for food and agricultural product packaging. This product is an environmentally friendly chemical and is safe for agricultural and industrial and food packaging applications, among others. In particular, the use of agricultural films significantly reduces the use of pesticides, suggesting that farmers can increase their incomes by reducing working hours and costs, and increasing production.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.229-235
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• 2009

We have cloned and characterized a lipocalin from the bumblebee Bombus ignitus (Bi-lipocalin). The Bi-lipocalin gene spans 2284 bp and consists of four exons coding for 270 amino acid residues. Sequence analysis revealed that Bi-lipocalin possesses three structurally conserved regions (SCTs) that characterize lipocalins. Recombinant Bi-lipocalin, expressed as a 37 kDa protein in baculovirus-infected insect cells, was N-glycosylated, indicating that the carbohydrate moieties are necessary for secretion. Tissue distribution analysis revealed ubiquitous expression of Bi-lipocalin in all tissues examined. Bi-lipocalin transcripts were upregulated by stress, such as wounding, $H_2O_2$ exposure, and external temperature shock. These results indicate that Bi-lipocalin is a stress-inducible protein that acts on wounding, $H_2O_2$ overexposure and temperature stimulation.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.194-203
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• 2017

Mealworm, a type of edible insect, is a superior food material suitable for industrial products. In this study, four different defatted mealworm powders were prepared to determine proper manufacturing conditions. Solvent extraction method reduced lipid contents of mealworms more than pressed mealworms, and lowered lipid contents caused bright colors and good physicochemical properties for powders. In comparison, differences among milling machines used for making powders were strongly related with average size of particles. Meanwhile, the predicted shelf-life of defatted mealworm powders judged by accelerated experiments was 1 year or longer. To enhance shelf-life of mealworm powders, addition of tocopherol to mealworm powders at a concentration of 0.2% could intensify oxidative stability and microbial inhibition.