• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.115-125
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• 2022

In this study, we investigated the developmental characteristics and genetic diversity of seven populations of two-spotted crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus De Geer, 1773 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)) raised in South Korea. Regarding the developmental characteristics of the species, we observed no statistically significant difference in the weight of the nymphs in the six populations we tested. After molting, although weight differences were observed between the populations in each stage of the developmental period, the average weight for each developmental stage was constant. We also analyzed mitochondrial COI gene sequences (DNA barcoding region) of the reared crickets collected from five insect farms and two national insect rearing facilities and the resultant sequences were analyzed together with the 12 sequences from foreign countries specimens obtained from public data. We detected six haplotypes from 111 specimens, indicating a low intraspecific genetic distance (~1.8%). The most dominant haplotype was overwhelmingly haplotype 1, which was found in all South Korean specimens and four specimens from China, Indonesia, and Germany. These findings indicate that the low genetic diversity of South Korean specimens can be explained by the fact that the G. bimaculatus population imported for feed from Japan in the early 2000s became a maternal group that spread throughout cricket farms in South Korea. In order to breed healthy cricket strains, it is necessary to increase genetic diversity by importing them from other countries through appropriate quarantine procedures.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.34-40
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• 2023

As agricultural production increases due to population growth, agricultural by-products that are generated at all production stages increase commensurately. Black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens) treatment has potential as an environmentally friendly process to combat the environmental pollution caused by agricultural by-products. This study examined the utilization of BSF larvae in the decomposition of the by-products of apples and mandarins, fruits commonly produced in South Korea. The BSF test larvae were fed apple pomace or mandarin waste, and the control larvae were fed calf feed. Larval weight and size were measured at 4-day intervals until larvae reached the pre-pupal stage. Larval development time, survival rate, and BSF fecundity rate were calculated for all three substrates. Waste reduction and bioconversion ratios were also calculated. The developmental time of larvae fed with apple pomace and mandarin waste was greater than that of the control larvae. The average weight of larvae fed with the fruit by-products was less than that of the control. There was no significant difference in the survival rate of BSF larvae or the fecundity rate of BSF between the substrates used in this study. BSF larvae decomposed 48.0% and 61.5% of apple pomace and mandarin waste, respectively. The bioconversion efficiency rates of BSF larvae fed with apple pomace and mandarin waste were 9.1% and 12.1%, respectively. These results indicated that decomposition of single fruit by-products by BSF larvae is an environmentally friendly and effective bioconversion process.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.642-650
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• 1999

Options available for utilization of animal wastes include sources of plant nutrients, feed ingredients for farm animals, substrate for methane generation, and substrate for microbial and insect protein synthesis. The wastes have the most economic value for use as animal feed. Performance of animals fed diets containing animal wastes is similar to that of animals fed conventional diets. Processing of animal wastes to be used as animal feed is necessary for destruction of pathogens, improvement of handling and storage characteristics, and maintenance or enhancement of palatability. Feeding of animal waste has not adversely affected the quality and taste of animal products. In the USA copper toxicity has been reported in sheep fed high-copper poultry litter, but this is not a serious problem with cattle. Potential pathogenic microorganisms in animal wastes are destroyed by processing such as heat treatment, ensiling and deep stacking. Incidents of botulism, caused by Clostridium botulinum, have been reported in cattle in some countries, and this problem was caused by the presence of poultry carcasses in litter. This problem has not occurred in the USA. With appropriate withdrawal, heavy metal, pesticide or medicinal drug accumulation in edible tissues of animals fed animal wastes is not a problem. Feeding of animal wastes is regulated by individual states in the USA. The practice is regulated in Canada, also. With good management, animal wastes can be used safely as animal feed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.475-480
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• 2021

Interest in edible insects such as Protaetia brevitarsis has increased rapidly, and several insect producers use these insects in industrialized mass production. However, mass rearing of insects can cause insect diseases. Sprouted barley is a valuable source of nutrients and has antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of sprouted barley as a feed additive for producing healthy P. brevitarsis larvae. P. brevitarsis larvae were fed feeds with or without sprouted barley, and their body weight and larval period wewe checked weekly. To confirm the antibacterial effects of sprouted barley, in vitro bioassays were performed by counting Serratia marcescens colonies, and in vivo bioassays were performed by determining the survival rate and body weights of the S. marcescens-infected larvae. Larvae fed different feeds were analyzed for their nutrient compositions (i.e., such as proximate composition, minerals, amino acids, and heavy metals). Larvae fed 5% and 10% sprouted barley had maximum weight increases of 19.2% and 23.1%, respectively. Both treatment groups had significantly shorter larval periods than those of the control group. Sprouted barley markedly inhibited the growth of entomopathogenic S. marcescens. Furthermore, larvae fed sprouted barley exhibited higher Cu, Zn, and K levels. Seventeen amino acids were present in larvae fed sprouted barley, of which, tyrosine and glutamic acid were predominant. No heavy metals were detected in any of the investigated groups. Therefore, sprouted barley may be a suitable feed additive for producing high-quality P. brevitarsis larvae.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.965-972
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• 2023

As the world population growth and economy develops, the importance of eco-friendly organic waste resource treatment and up-cycling increases. Black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens) treats organic waste resources that allows it to be recycled as a feed resource. In this study, we analyzed the nutrients composition, amino acid, and fatty acids of BSF larvae fed three agricultural by-products, namely apple pomace, mandarin waste, and oriental melon waste (mainly generated in South Korea). The highest BSF larvae crude protein and amino acid content was obtained in those fed mandarin waste compared with the other two diets (apple pomace and oriental melon waste). BSF larvae fed apple pomace had the highest crude fat, fatty acid, and lauric acid content compared with the other BSF larvae. Furthermore, all crude protein and fat content of BSF larvae fed the three agricultural by-products exceed that of the original agricultural by-products.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.129-142
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• 2022

Nutrition dictates nearly all biological processes and determines Darwinian fitness in all living organisms, including insects. Research on insect nutrition has a long history in the field of insect physiology and the importance of understanding insect nutrition has become increasingly apparent with the growing need for producing insects as food and feed. Nevertheless, it is only in recent years that we have witnessed a major breakthrough in our knowledge of insect nutrition. The multivariate, interactive, and dynamic nature of nutrition has long hampered our complete understanding of insect nutrition. However, the challenge posed by such nutritional complexity has been overcome with the advent of the Nutritional Geometry, which is an integrative and multidimensional framework that enabled us to model complex interactions between multiple nutrients. In this review, we introduce the basic concepts and principles of the Nutritional Geometry and describe how this innovative framework has revolutionized the field of insect nutrition and has placed nutrition in the centre of the interface between physiology, ecology, and evolution. We close this review by discussing potentially fertile research areas that can benefit tremendously from the application of this powerful nutritional paradigm in the future.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 2015

The white-spotted chafer, Protaetia brevitarsis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), has been traditionally used in Korea as a medicine for preventing liver-related diseases and suppressing liver cancer. Therefore, this insect is economically important and is commercially reared and sold in Korea. Recently, P. brevitarsis was listed as a temporal food ingredient by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Given the increasing economic importance of this beetle, we have sought to improve rearing conditions for its commercial production. In this study, we compared the effects of two food supplements, clay and charcoal, on the growth of second instar larvae of P. brevitarsis. Clay and charcoal are generally known as good adsorbent for removal of contaminating substances in insect feed. We fed second instar P. brevitarsis larvae a commercial diet consisting of fermented sawdust with seven different combinations of clay and/or activated charcoal, and measured their effects on weight gain for approximately 17 wk until larvae pupated. We found that addition of clay at 2.5% w/w of the fermented sawdust diet had no negative effect on weight gain of second instar P. brevitarsis larvae and thus may improve the quality of P. brevitarsis as a commercial food.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.231-239
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• 2021

This study evaluated the effect of microwave-dried black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal (HILM) as a dietary protein source for broiler diets. A total of 250 male broilers were randomly allocated to five dietary treatment groups (10 replicates and 5 birds·pen^-1) which were respectively fed the following: a control diet (HI0) and four experimental diets in which soybean meal was replaced with 2 (HI2), 4, 6, and 8% HILM. At the end of the study (35 d), blood samples were collected from 10 randomly selected broilers (1 bird per pen) to determine serum parameters. Then, the broilers were slaughtered to determine volatile fatty acid (VFA) profiles in cecal digesta. The average daily gain and average daily feed intake linearly decreased (p < 0.01), and the feed conversion ratio linearly increased (p < 0.05) according to the inclusion level of HILM; however, there were no significant differences between the HI0 and HI2 groups. Dietary HILM increased (p < 0.01) the total VFAs in cecal digesta and decreased (p < 0.05) the triglyceride level in the blood. The broilers fed HILM had lower (p < 0.01) serum phosphorus levels; dietary HILM increased (p < 0.05) the serum calcium level. The total VFAs in cecal digesta were positively influenced by the dietary microwave-dried HILM. However, a low inclusion level (2%) of HILM in broiler diets is proper in terms of growth performance and health.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.939-941
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• 2020

This study evaluated the effect of four different feeds on the larval weight and survival rate of Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis (PBS) over five weeks. Four different types of feed (self-fermentation medium, RM medium, Samsung livestock medium, and bean-curd dregs medium) were given to third-instar larvae of PBS. Weight changes and survival rates of PBS larvae were measured weekly for five weeks. During the experimental period PBS larvae showed the highest growth in Samsung livestock medium, followed by bean-curd dregs medium, RM medium, and self-fermentation medium. Survival rate of PBS larvae were the lowest in bean-curd dregs medium, and then in the Samsung livestock medium. Using the Samsung livestock medium can shorten the delivery period of PBS larvae by approximately 40 days based on the larva shipped on average 75 days. Therefore, this study provides information and data on insect farming techniques useful for insect industrialization.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.54 no.1_2
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• pp.1-5
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• 2016

The dpp gene originated from the silkworms is an important gene that is well conserved in the genome of humans, cattle, rodents, poultry and Drosophila. The dpp gene belonging to the TGF-beta (Transforming Growth Factor-beta) superfamily is known to play an important role in several developmental stages. The $TGF-{\beta}$ gene family is a genetically well-conserved and playing an important role gene family in various species such as determining cell proliferation and differentiation, apoptosis and cell fate. In this review, we have confirmed the following studies data. The recent studies on the silkworm dpp gene have confirmed for the first time the biological functions such as promoting osteogenesis activity. In addition, previous data shows that dpp have developmental functions such as morphogenetic materials at the blastophyllum stage, induction of the mesoblast at the late embryonic stage and involved in the proliferation and morphogenesis of imaginal disc in adult development. We found the splice variant of the dpp gene originated from the wildtype silkworm by using comparative genomics. It has provided important data for basic research based on genetics studies of these processes may promote a better understanding of evolution. Silkworm is a medicinal insect and is approved for its safety. It is used as a natural antibiotic for promoting growth as a medical material, a health functional food, and a feed additive. Therefore, it is necessary to present various data to obtain more value of functional insect.