A New Method for Mass Collection of Hemolymph from the Cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

Abstract

Hemolymph plays important roles in insect physiology. However, mass collection of high-quality hemolymph from insects for use in biochemical characterization is difficult. The present study describes a new method for mass collecting hemolymph from the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. The method facilitates simultaneous collection of large amounts of hemolymph and prevents melanization and contamination. Using this method, we collected approximately 1 mL of hemolymph per 10 crickets in a 15 mL tube with a final protein concentration of 0.47 µg/µL. An MTT test indicated no cytotoxicity in the resulting hemolymph. Thus, this method provides a foundation for studies of new useful biomaterials, insect physiology, and nutrition using insect hemolymph, and can be widely applied to other insect species.