• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.219-224
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• 2019

The super mealworm, Zophobas morio, is mainly used as food for pets, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and as snacks. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of temperature, supplementary feeding, and spawning interval on super mealworm rearing. To efficiently rear this species, the insects were bred at a temperature of $27^{\circ}C$ or higher and reached a weight of over 0.6 g at 80 days after hatching. Supplementary feed (with high protein content: 10% of soybean meal and 10% of fish meal) enabled larvae to reach a weight of over 0.7 g at 80 days after hatching. Mass rearing of super mealworm requires increase in egg production (i.e., high yield) and uniformity of larvae. Adults were transferred to spawning bases every 5, 10, or 15 days (three treatments), which resulted in a total of 7,256, 5,439, 2,060 hatched larvae, respectively. It is possible to obtain more than 7,000 larvae by transferring the egg-laying frame to the spawning base at intervals of 5 days and with nine spawning operations; this procedure generates larvae weighing over 0.68 g each.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.67-72
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• 2015

In this study, growth characteristics of insects for mass production was investigated. For Hermetia illucens, the biomass was increased by the supply of the mixture of FWDF with hop cake and typical feed at the early growth stage, however, no difference was shown between 100% of FWDF and the mixture at the late stage. The growth of Housefly larvae was retarded with the 100% of FWDF, resulting in abnormal paputation, hence the amount of FWDF shoud be lowered to 20% to 30% for the efficient growth. Super mealworm larvae was found to grow with little influence by the kind of feed, and none of them was died or inhibited by the supply of FWDF as a feeding source.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.357-368
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• 2022

We investigated the developmental characteristics of super mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) at four different temperatures (25℃, 27℃, 30℃, and 33℃). The rearing conditions were 9L/15D, 65% RH, and 1,330 to 1,800 lux with wheat bran. The length of developmental period of 1 to 18 instars at each temperature showed that 30℃ was the shortest at 120.0±5.8 days, compared to that at 27℃ (132.6±10.7 days), 33℃ (136.5±9.2 days), and 25℃ (156.7±7.5 days). The larval developmental period was statistically significantly longer at 25℃, 27℃, and 30℃ compared to the length at 33℃. However, the death rate of larvae at 33℃ was 2.7-3.3 times higher than the rate at other temperatures. Body weight was heaviest at 30℃ followed by 27℃, 33℃, and 25℃. The patterns of head capsule, body capsule, and body length were similar to that of body weight. Regression analyses of developmental period, larval body weight, and length according to temperature revealed 29-30℃ as the most suitable temperature. The prepupa rate was 43.1% in 17 instars, 30.3% in 18 instars, 15.4% in 16 instars, 7.1% in 19 instars, 2.2% in 15 instars, and 1.9% in 20 instars, accounting for 88.8% in 16-18 instars. Prepupal period was longer at lower temperatures. For the average prepupal period of 15-18 instars, prepupa time was 18.8±1.9 days at 27℃, 18.8±2.3 days at 30℃, 23.0±2.4 days at 33℃, and 23.1±2.9 days at 25℃. The average pupal period of females and males was 11.1±2.2 and 11.6±2.4 days, respectively. The data indicate that the most suitable rearing temperature of super mealworm was 30℃.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1378-1385
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• 2019

The nutritional composition and optimal eating stage of the super mealworm, Zophobas atratus (Coleoptera : Tenebrionidae), were investigated to explore its use as a food ingredient. It was determined that 10^th instar larvae were most suitable for eating in terms of nutritional value as well as economic aspects. To improve the quality of powder production, the nutritional value of 10^th instar larvae before and after degreasing was analyzed. After drying the larvae powder, crude protein was the most abundant nutrient both before (52.3%) and after (60.6%) degreasing while crude fat measured 36.3% and 21.7% before and after degreasing, respectively. In terms of essential amino acids, leucine levels were highest and 1.3 times greater after degreasing (4.5%) than before (3.5%). Oleic acid, the highest unsaturated fatty acid in larvae, was 31.7% after degreasing which was 1.1 times higher than before (33.2%). Among various major minerals, potassium was most abundant and 1.4 times higher after degreasing (1267.0 mg/100 g) than before (879.3 mg/100 g). Harmful substances were 1.3 to 2.0 times lower in the degreased larvae, although mercury or pathogenic bacteria were not detected in either group. We therefore conclude that degreased Z. atratus larvae are more suitable for eating than before degreasing.