Insect Nutrition Research Articles

Biochar alters maize growth, mycorrhizal associations and fall armyworm performance

Abstract Background and aims Biochar is a carbon source employed to improve soil properties, promoting plant health and nutrition in agroecosystems. Root associated microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are also used as bioinoculants in combination with biochar to provide eco-friendly alternatives for crop production under unfavorable growth conditions. However, information on the effects of biochar on multitrophic interactions of plants with herbivorous insects is limited. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizae on plants and herbivorous insects. Methods We established a multifactorial experiment with maize plants, AMF (two strains, Rizhophagus irregularis and a native consortium) and the Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda with and without soil application of biochar. Variables of biomass, plant nutrition, mycorrhizal colonization and performance of herbivorous insects were measured. Results We found that biochar reduced insect herbivory and promoted mycorrhizal association in maize. However, plant growth was reduced. Additionally, AMF increased the weight of fall armyworm larvae. Conclusion Our results show that biochar influences maize plant development, AMF, and fall armyworm performance, but did not affect interactions between these below- and above ground components.

Insect cuisine: transitioning from a novel snack to a dinner staple

Abstract This editorial advocate for the use of edible insects as a viable solution to concerns about food security and sustainability. Despite their nutritional benefits, insects are relegated to novelty snacks due to cultural aversion and a lack of familiar food formats. If a shift in consumer perceptions is to be achieved, both education on insect nutrition and the promotion of appealing insect-based dishes through culinary innovation are required. Furthermore, establishing clear regulations for insect farming and processing is crucial for building trust among consumers. The editorial emphasizes collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and the food industry to ensure edible insects become a more accepted and sustainable choice for dinner.

The Diversity of Wolbachia and Other Bacterial Symbionts in Spodoptera frugiperda.

Bacterial symbionts associated with insects can be crucial in insect nutrition, metabolism, immune responses, development, and reproduction. However, the bacterial symbionts of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda remain unclear. S. frugiperda is an invasive polyphagous pest that severely damages many crops, particularly maize and wheat. Here, we investigated the infection, composition, abundance, and diversity of bacterial symbionts, especially Wolbachia, in different tissues of S. frugiperda female adults. The infection prevalence frequencies of Wolbachia in five provinces of China, namely Pu'er, Yunnan; Nanning, Guangxi; Sanya, Hainan; Yunfu, Guangdong; and Nanping, Fujian, were assessed. The results indicated that Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the three most dominant bacterial phyla in S. frugiperda adults. At the genus level, the abundant microbiota, which included Enterobacter and Enterococcus, varied in abundance between tissues of S. frugiperda. Wolbachia was found in the ovaries and salivary glands of S. frugiperda adults, and was present in 33.33% of the Pu'er, Yunnan, 23.33% of the Nanning, Guangxi, and 13.33% of the Sanya, Hainan populations, but Wolbachia was absent in the Yunfu, Guangdong and Nanping, Fujian populations. Further phylogenetic analyses revealed that all of the Wolbachia strains from the different S. frugiperda populations belonged to the supergroup B and were named the wFru strain. Since there were Wolbachia strains inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility in supergroup B, these findings may provide a foundation for developing potential biocontrol techniques against S. frugiperda.

Untargeted metabolomics profiling of oat (Avena sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) infested with wheat stem sawfly (Cephus cinctus Norton) reveals differences associated with plant defense and insect nutrition.

Wheat stem sawfly (WSS), Cephus cinctus Norton, is a major pest of common bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and other cultivated cereals in North America. Planting of cultivars with solid stems has been the primary management strategy to prevent yield loss due to WSS infestation, however expression of this phenotype can vary depending on environmental conditions and solid stems hinder biological control of WSS via braconid parasitoids Bracon cephi (Gahan) and Bracon lissogaster Muesebeck. In the hollow stems of oat (Avena sativa L.), WSS larvae experience 100% mortality before they reach late instars, but the mechanisms for this observed resistance have not been characterized. The objective of this study was to explore additional sources of resistance outside of the historic solid stem phenotype. Here, we use an untargeted metabolomics approach to examine the response of the metabolome of two cultivars of oat and four cultivars of spring wheat to infestation by WSS. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), differentially expressed metabolites were identified between oat and wheat which were associated with the phenylpropanoid pathway, phospholipid biosynthesis and signaling, the salicylic acid signaling pathway, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) degradation, and biosynthesis of 1,4-benzoxazin-3-ones (Bxs). Several phospho- and galacto- lipids were found in higher abundance in oat, and with the exception of early stem solidness cultivar Conan, both species experienced a decrease in abundance once infested. In all wheat cultivars except Conan, an increase in abundance was observed for Bxs HMDBOA-glc and DIBOA-β-D-glucoside after infestation, indicating that this pathway is involved in wheat response to infestation in both solid and hollow stemmed cultivars. Differences between species in compounds involved in IAA biosynthesis, degradation and inactivation suggest that wheat may respond to infestation by inactivating IAA or altering the IAA pool in stem tissue. We propose that the species differences found here likely affect the survival of WSS larvae and may also be associated with differences in stem architecture at the molecular level. Our findings suggest pathways to focus on for future studies in elucidating plant response to WSS infestation.

Insects as Valuable Sources of Protein and Peptides: Production, Functional Properties, and Challenges.

As the global population approaches 10 billion by 2050, the critical need to ensure food security becomes increasingly pronounced. In response to the urgent problems posed by global population growth, our study adds to the growing body of knowledge in the field of alternative proteins, entomophagy, insect-based bioactive proteolysates, and peptides. It also provides novel insights with essential outcomes for guaranteeing a safe and sustainable food supply in the face of rising global population demands. These results offer insightful information to researchers and policymakers tackling the intricate relationship between population expansion and food supplies. Unfortunately, conventional agricultural practices are proving insufficient in meeting these demands. Pursuing alternative proteins and eco-friendly food production methods has gained urgency, embracing plant-based proteins, cultivated meat, fermentation, and precision agriculture. In this context, insect farming emerges as a promising strategy to upcycle agri-food waste into nutritious protein and fat, meeting diverse nutritional needs sustainably. A thorough analysis was conducted to evaluate the viability of insect farming, investigate insect nutrition, and review the techniques and functional properties of protein isolation. A review of peptide generation from insects was conducted, covering issues related to hydrolysate production, protein extraction, and peptide identification. The study addresses the nutritional value and global entomophagy habits to elucidate the potential of insects as sources of peptides and protein. This inquiry covers protein and hydrolysate production, highlighting techniques and bioactive peptides. Functional properties of insect proteins' solubility, emulsification, foaming, gelation, water-holding, and oil absorption are investigated. Furthermore, sensory aspects of insect-fortified foods as well as challenges, including Halal and Kosher considerations, are explored across applications. Our review underscores insects' promise as sustainable protein and peptide contributors, offering recommendations for further research to unlock their full potential.

Effects of Virgin Coconut Oil-Enriched Diet on Immune and Antioxidant Enzymatic Activity, Fat and Vitellogenin Contents in Newly Emerged and Forager Bees (Apis mellifera L.) Reared in Cages.

Searching for artificial diets positively affecting the survival, immune and antioxidant systems of honey bees is one of main challenges occurring in beekeeping. Among nutrients, lipids play a significant role in insect nutrition as structural components in cell membranes, energy sources and reserves, and are involved in many physiological processes. In this context, the aim of this work was to investigate the effect of 0.5% and 1% coconut oil-enriched diet administration on newly emerged and forager bees survival rate, feed intake, immune system, antioxidant system and both fat and vitellogenin content. In newly emerged bees, supplementation with 1% coconut oil determined a decrease in feed consumption, an increase in survival rate from the 3rd to 14th day of feeding, a short-term decrease in phenoloxidase activity, an increase in body fat and no differences in vitellogenin content. Conversely, supplementation with 0.5% coconut oil determined an increase in survival rate from the 3rd to 15th day of feeding and an increase in fat content in the long term (i.e., 20 days). Regarding the forager bee diet, enrichment with 0.5% and 1% coconut oil only determined an increase in fat content. Therefore, supplementation with coconut oil in honey bee diets at low percentages (0.5 and 1%) determines fat gain. Further investigations to evaluate the use of such supplement foods to prevent the fat loss of weak families during winter are desirable.

Nitrogen fixation in the stag beetle, Ceruchus piceus (Coleoptera: Lucanidae): could insects contribute more to ecosystem nitrogen budgets than previously thought?

Nitrogen (N) is a key nutrient required by all living organisms for growth and development, but is a limiting resource for many organisms. Organisms that feed on material with low N content, such as wood, might be particularly prone to N limitation. In this study, we investigated the degree to which the xylophagous larvae of the stag beetle Ceruchus piceus (Weber) use associations with N-fixing bacteria to acquire N. We paired acetylene reduction assays by cavity ring-down absorption spectroscopy (ARACAS) with 15N2 incubations to characterize rates of N fixation within C. piceus. Not only did we detect significant N fixation activity within C. piceus larvae, but we calculated a rate that was substantially higher than most previous reports for N fixation in insects. While taking these measurements, we discovered that N fixation within C. piceus can decline rapidly in a lab setting. Consequently, our results demonstrate that previous studies, which commonly keep insects in the lab for long periods of time prior to and during measurement, may have systematically under-reported rates of N fixation in insects. This suggests that within-insect N fixation may contribute more to insect nutrition and ecosystem-scale N budgets than previously thought.

Youth Knowledge on the Utilization of Edible Insects as Food and Feed

The utilization of edible insects as food and feed is not a new concept, it is a practice that has been part of the tradition of many communities around the world. They have been primarily used as supplementary food in most African countries. However, there has been a significant decline in the consumption of insects over the years, especially among young people. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the knowledge on entomophagy and the utilization of insects among the youth. The study revealed that the majority of youth had limited knowledge about consumption, nutrition, harvesting, preparation and use of edible insects as livestock feed. From the Chi-square analysis it was observed that age and education level have a significant relationship to the familiarity of consumption of edible insects, P=0.014 and P=0.009 respectively. The results also show that there is a significant association between awareness on the nutritional value of insects with age and education level, P=0.001 and P=0.009 respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to find the association between demographic characteristics, knowledge and the utilization of edible insects. The results revealed that education level, age and knowledge have an impact on the utilization of edible insects. Lack of knowledge contribute to the unwillingness of youth to consume insects. It is noticeable that indigenous knowledge on entomophagy is slowly disappearing with the shift in eating habits and changes in the socio-economic environments. As such, it is imperative that indigenous knowledge is preserved and educational interventions are done to raise awareness on the benefits of entomophagy in order to improve the utilization of insects among the youth.

Sakuranetin protects rice from brown planthopper attack by depleting its beneficial endosymbionts

Plants produce chemical defenses that poison insect herbivores or deter their feeding, but herbivores are also accompanied by microbial endosymbionts crucial for their nutrition, reproduction, and fitness. Hence, plant defenses could target a herbivore's beneficial endosymbionts, but this has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we studied flavonoids that are induced when rice is attacked by a phloem-feeding pest, the brown planthopper (BPH), which harbors beneficial yeast-like symbionts (YLS) essential for insect nutrition, such as by remedying deficiencies in sterols. BPH attack dramatically increased sakuranetin accumulations in leaf sheaths and phloem exudates. Sakuranetin is an antifungal phytoalexin derived from the antibacterial precursor, naringenin, via catalysis of naringenin-O-methyltransferase (NOMT). When added to artificial diets, sakuranetin decreased BPH survivorship, suggesting that it functions as an induced defense. Mutation of NOMT abolished sakuranetin accumulation and increased BPH oviposition and hatching rates. High-throughput amplicon sequencing revealed that BPH fed on sakuranetin-deficient nomt lines were enriched in YLS with only minor changes in the bacterial endosymbionts, compared to those feeding on sakuranetin-rich wild-type (WT) plants. In-vitro feeding of sakuranetin suggested that this flavonoid directly inhibited the growth of YLS. BPH feeding on nomt lines accumulated higher cholesterol levels, which might be attributed to increases in the supply of sterol precursors from the YLS, while nomt lines suffered more damage than WT plants did from BPH herbivory. BPH-elicited accumulation of sakuranetin requires intact jasmonate (JA) signaling. This study reveals that rice uses a JA-induced antifungal flavonoid phytoalexin in defense against BPH by inhibiting its beneficial endosymbionts.

Influence of the sex of galling insects on gall metabolism: The case of eriococcid galls

Eriococcidae-induced galls may accumulate all sorts of primary and secondary plant metabolites, but as phloem suckers, such accumulation is commonly related to the maintenance of gall structure rather than to the galling insect nutrition. For galling Eriococcidae, the feeding activity of female and male insects may have different impact on the metabolic profile of the galls. Accordingly, even under the stimuli imposed by the same species, the morphological peculiarities of Eriococcidae galls are related to sexual dimorphism. The dimorphism has been explained by the differences in their lifespans, herein examined in Annona dolabripetala (Annonaceae)- Pseudotectococcus rolliniae (Eriococcidae) and Pseudobombax grandiflorum (Malvaceae)- Eriogallococcus isaias (Eriococcidae) systems. We assume that the galls induced by females with their longer life cycles generate a higher demand for metabolites than the galls induced by males, and check it out by analyzing the histochemical and anatomical profiles of the galls. The primary metabolites, starch, and lipids, accumulate only in the inner cortex of the female-induced galls of both species and may work out in the dissipation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as the accumulation of these primary metabolites may consume ROS. Regarding the secondary metabolites, terpenoids accumulate in the inner and median cortices of the male-induced galls of the two host species. In the female-induced galls, secondary metabolites accumulate in the outer cortex where they can be related to the sexual attraction of the males to copulate with the sessile females inside the gall chamber. The female-induced galls on A. dolabripetala e P. grandiflorum, with their longer life cycles, accumulate a wider histochemical profile, corroborating our hypothesis.

European oak metabolites shape digestion and fitness of the herbivore Tortrix viridana

Abstract Plants harbour a wide range of leaf‐feeding insects whose survival and fitness are influenced by both energy‐rich molecules and phytochemicals in the host foliage. Yet, how leaf host chemical diversity and insect microbiota—key factors in ecological and physiological processes—impact insect nutrition and fitness are still poorly understood. To study the effects of leaf metabolic composition on insect herbivory resistance and performance, we fed the larvae of the specialist herbivory Tortrix viridana with leaves of susceptible and resistant Quercus robur trees that are characterized by contrasting metabolomes. We analysed the larval performance and mortality, the metabolomes in plant leaves, and in the insects' saliva and faeces by non‐targeted metabolomics. Using chemometrics, mass difference network analysis and metabarcoding, we show the metabolome changes and chemical reactions associated with the different diets as well as their impact on insect fitness and gut microbiota. In the saliva and faeces of larvae, plant secondary metabolites (e.g. flavonoids) persisted more the insect digestion while compounds from primary metabolism were more depleted. In addition, metabolic reactions within the larvae indicated different degradation pathways used on the two plant metabolic types (syn. metabotypes), including sulfation and sulfonation. We show that feeding insects with resistant oak leaves, enriched in secondary metabolites and depleted in primary metabolites, impaired insect performance and mortality. Although the insects' gut microbiota was slightly different upon the contrasting diets, overall, it was fairly stable. Despite the impact of host chemicals on herbivores, larvae were generally highly efficient in nutrient assimilation (feed conversion ratios of 3.3–3.6) and able to minimize plant defences (78% of secondary metabolites were converted, broken down or sequestrated). The comparison of the oak metabotypes showed how the foliar composition of resistant oaks affected insect fitness by influencing their digestion. Herbivores feeding on resistant oaks were less efficient due to their lower ability to metabolize and detoxify higher levels of host phytochemicals, whereas those on susceptible oaks were more efficient as they could degrade the host metabolome. This study highlights the importance of the oak leaf chemical composition to insect digestion and fitness of a specialized herbivore. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Larval nutritional-stress and tolerance to extreme temperatures in the peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Diptera: Tephritidae)

ABSTRACTWithin the factors affecting insect tolerance to extreme environmental conditions, insect nutrition, particularly of immature stages, has received insufficient attention. In the present study, we address this gap by investigating the effects of larval nutrition on heat and cold tolerance of adult Bactrocera zonata – an invasive, polyphagous fruit fly pest. We manipulated the nutritional content in the larval diet by varying the amount of added yeast (2–10% by weight), while maintaining a constant sucrose content. Adults derived from the different larval diets were tested for their tolerance to extreme heat and cold stress. Restricting the amount of yeast reduced the efficacy of the larval diet (i.e. number of pupae produced per g of diet) as well as pupal and adult fresh weight, both being significantly lower for yeast-poor diets. Additionally, yeast restriction during the larval stage (2% yeast diet) significantly reduced the amount of protein but not lipid reserves of newly emerged males and females. Adults maintained after emergence on granulated sugar and water for 10 days were significantly more tolerant to extreme heat (i.e. knock-down time at 42 oC) when reared as larvae on yeast-rich diets (8% and 10% yeast) compared to counterparts developing on a diet containing 2% yeast. Nevertheless, the composition of the larval diet did not significantly affect adult survival following acute cold stress (exposure to −3°C for 2 hrs.). These results are corroborated by previous findings on Drosophilid flies. Possible mechanisms leading to nutrition-based heat-tolerance in flies are discussed.

The Gut Microbiota Composition of Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and Their Predicted Contribution to Larval Nutrition.

Intestinal bacterial flora plays an important role in the nutrition, physiology, and behavior of herbivorous insects. The composition of gut microbiota may also be affected by the food consumed. Cnaphalocrocis medinalis is an oligophagous pest, feeds on rice leaves almost exclusively and causes serious damage to rice in Asian countries. Using antibiotic treatment and metagenome sequencing, we investigated the influence of the food sources (rice and maize seedlings) on the structure and functions of intestinal bacteria of C. medinalis. Firstly, food utilization indices, relative growth rate (RGR), relative consumption rate (RCR), efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI), and efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD), were all significantly adversely affected in the antibiotic treatment eliminating gut bacteria, showing that the microbiota loading in the gut were essential for the larva growth and development of C. medinalis. Further, metagenome sequencing revealed that different diets caused a variation in gut microbiota composition of C. medinalis, indicating that the gut microbiota were in part driven by the diet provided. However, the larvae of C. medinalis hosted a core microbial community in the gut, which was independent from the diets changing. The dominant bacteria in the two feeding groups were highly consistent in the gut of C. medinalis larvae, with the gut bacterial community dominated by Firmicutes at the phylum level, Enterococcus at the genus level, Enterococcus sp. FDAARGOS-375, E. casseliflavus, E. gallinarum, and E. sp. CR-Ec1 accounted for more than 96% of the gut microbiota. Functional prediction analysis demonstrated that gut bacteria encoded a series of metabolism-related enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid synthesis. Carbohydrate metabolism was the most enriched function in both groups and was more abundant in rice feeding group than in maize feeding group. The core dominant Enterococcus species possessed complete pathways of 14 carbohydrates metabolism, 11 amino acids biosynthesis, and two vitamins synthesize, implied to contribute an essential role to the nutrition intake and development of C. medinalis. Finally, the study may provide an in-depth analysis of the symbiont-host co-adaptation and new insights into the management of C. medinalis.

Host species identity shapes the diversity and structure of insect microbiota.

As for most of the life that inhabits our planet, microorganisms play an essential role in insect nutrition, reproduction, defence, and support their host in many other functions. More recently, we assisted to an exponential growth of studies describing the taxonomical composition of bacterial communities across insects' phylogeny. However, there is still an outstanding question that needs to be answered: Which factors contribute most to shape insects' microbiomes? This study tries to find an answer to this question by taking advantage of publicly available sequencing data and reanalysing over 4000 samples of insect-associated bacterial communities under a common framework. Results suggest that insect taxonomy has a wider impact on the structure and diversity of their associated microbial communities than the other factors considered (diet, sex, life stage, sample origin and treatment). However, when specifically testing for signatures of codiversification of insect species and their microbiota, analyses found weak support for this, suggesting that while insect species strongly drive the structure and diversity of insect microbiota, the diversification of those microbial communities did not follow their host's phylogeny. Furthermore, a parallel survey of the literature highlights several methodological limitations that need to be considered in the future research endeavours.

Microbial influence on reproduction, conversion, and growth of mass produced insects.

One important feature of insect rearing is its apparent, and sometimes non-apparent, reliance on the bacterial ecosystem. Indeed, microbes contribute to insect nutrition, protection against natural enemies, and detoxification of dietary compounds, antibiotics, and insecticides. Further, microbes have been implicated as the source of signals and cues important to insect communication. But the incidence and general significance of these functions is only just being explored in the context of mass production of insects. Knowledge of the diversity and functional distribution of these microorganisms in mass-rearing systems is key to understanding microbial dynamics and to enhance system performance. Therefore, this brief review is a synthesis of literature surrounding insect rearing systems for the primary insects reared as food and feed (i.e. black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), mealworms (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), and cricket (Orthoptera: Grylloidea) with a focus on recent advances pertaining to microbial contribution to reproduction, growth, and waste conversion.

Molecular Rationale of Insect-Microbes Symbiosis—From Insect Behaviour to Mechanism

Insects nurture a panoply of microbial populations that are often obligatory and exist mutually with their hosts. Symbionts not only impact their host fitness but also shape the trajectory of their phenotype. This co-constructed niche successfully evolved long in the past to mark advanced ecological specialization. The resident microbes regulate insect nutrition by controlling their host plant specialization and immunity. It enhances the host fitness and performance by detoxifying toxins secreted by the predators and abstains them. The profound effect of a microbial population on insect physiology and behaviour is exploited to understand the host–microbial system in diverse taxa. Emergent research of insect-associated microbes has revealed their potential to modulate insect brain functions and, ultimately, control their behaviours, including social interactions. The revelation of the gut microbiota–brain axis has now unravelled insects as a cost-effective potential model to study neurodegenerative disorders and behavioural dysfunctions in humans. This article reviewed our knowledge about the insect–microbial system, an exquisite network of interactions operating between insects and microbes, its mechanistic insight that holds intricate multi-organismal systems in harmony, and its future perspectives. The demystification of molecular networks governing insect–microbial symbiosis will reveal the perplexing behaviours of insects that could be utilized in managing insect pests.

Different cereal grains affect demographic traits and digestive enzyme activity of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)

The lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) is one of the primary pests of stored grains in many areas of the world. Demographic performance of R. dominica can be altered by nutritional quality of host grains on which it was reared. We raised R. dominica on six different cereal crops (barley, maize, rice, rye, sorghum and wheat), to test the impacts of the insect nutrition on population growth and digestive enzyme activity. The experiments were done at 28 ± 1 °C, relative humidity of 60 ± 5% and a photoperiod of 14:10 h (L:D). The developmental time of R. dominica fed on maize was prolonged as compared with other diets. Survival rate of immature stages was the highest on wheat and rye, and lowest on maize. The highest values of adult longevity, fecundity, and egg fertility were on wheat, and lowest values were on maize. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate of increase (λ) were the highest when R. dominica was reared on wheat and rye, and lowest when it was fed on maize, rice and sorghum. The highest amylolytic activity of adults was on maize, whereas the lowest activity was on barley and sorghum. Moreover, proteolytic activity of adults was the highest on sorghum and lowest on rye. Our findings indicated that maize, rice and sorghum were unsuitable hosts for feeding, development and population increase of R. dominica. The results of this study will be useful to introduce unsuitable diets for developing transgenic grains against R. dominica.

RECORD OF THRIPS (INSECTA: THYSANOPTERA) AND FUNGI AFFECTING SOURSOP TREES IN THE STATE OF ACRE, BRAZIL

The drying and death of soursop seedlings (Annona muricata L.) were reported on Viveiro da Floresta in Rio Branco, state of Acre, Brazil, in March 2017. The seedlings were obtained from municipalities of Dona Euzébia, Minas Gerais state, and the seeds from Capixaba, Acre state, Brazil. Seedlings with dieback symptoms were taken to the Laboratories of Entomology and Phytopathology of Embrapa Acre and analyzed with a stereomicroscope. The thrips found were preserved in ethanol (70%), mounted on slides, and identified in the specialized literature. Moreover, the isolation of fungi from leaves and stems was performed, which were inserted on Petri dishes with a PDA medium. The insect was identified as Pseudophilothrips sp., and the fungi pertained to the genera Colletotrichum and Lasiodiplodia. The high infestation of thrips in soursop seedlings, related to the nutrition of insects, is probably associated with the entrance of opportunistic fungi. Thus, the fungi colonized already fragile plants by the initial attack of insects, causing the drying and death of seedlings.

Can Edible Insects Complement Conventional Livestock? The Desirability of Insect Nutrition for Food Security of a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve

Background: Insects have formed a part of the human diet since pre-historic times. Entomophagy has garnered recent attention due to its increased role in food security as nutrient-rich alternatives of conventional livestock. Methods: We have made an effort in this paper to study the edible insect composition of Manas National Park, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, located in the Indo- Burma biodiversity hotspot of Southern Asia. Edible insect variety was determined through a field reconnaissance while the nutrient composition (macronutrient and micronutrient) of each edible insect species was computed through biochemical analyses with a view to explore the possibility of promoting them as food/feed or as a base for nutritive products. We conducted nutrient profiling using the Nutrient Value Score (NVS) model and UK Ofcom nutrient profiling (NP) model. Results: Hymenoptera and Orthoptera were found to be the dominant orders with 4 species each, followed by Hemiptera with 3 species, Lepidoptera with 2 species, Mantodea, Blattodea and Coleoptera with 1 species each. The nutrient analysis shows that insects have a rich nutrient composition that is comparable with typical livestock. Conclusion: As realised during COVID-19, insects may prove to be an alternative, sustainable, and cheaper sources of nutrients necessary for ensuring global food security.

Nutritional Characteristics of Teak Grasshopper (Valanga nigricornis Burmeister), Cricket (Brachytrupes portentosus L.), and Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as Alternative Food Sources in Indonesia

Insect is one of the alternative food sources which can be easily obtained and cultivated at a lower cost. Food sources must also provide daily nutrition; therefore, this study aims to compare the nutrition of edible insects in Indonesia, namely teak grasshopper (Valanga nigricornis Burmeister), cricket (Brachytrupes portentosus L.), and mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), with cork fish (Chana striata) that has been commonly consumed by the Indonesian people. The highest total protein content (Kjeldahl method) was found for fish (82.69%), while the lower ones were found for grasshopper (72.50%), cricket (59.00%) and mealworm (53.08%). This result was also in line with the total protein content found for fish (11984.00 ppm as the highest) and grasshopper (1016.33 ppm as the lowest). SDS-PAGE result also confirmed the highest protein content for fish where it showed the thickest band intensity for fish sample. Although cricket and mealworm were found to have lower total protein content (proximate assay), their fat and calorie levels were higher with calorie from fat values of 235.35 kcal/100 g for cricket and 195.93 kcal/100 g for mealworm. Proteolytic assay was carried out using papain to compare protein digestibility. The absorbance values from the proteolytic assay of cork fish and mealworm were higher than grasshopper and cricket, indicating that proteins of fish and mealworm were easier to hydrolyze. This could be explained so, that adult insects have a chitin structure that limits the hydrolysis process, or that papain might have a specific recognition sites and it fitted better to the fish and mealworm protein. Thus, each insect sample showed its characteristic nutritional profile and therefore, can be used as alternative food ingredient to meet the needs of protein and fat.