Keywords
encapsulation
jellification
yellow mealworm
How to Cite
Abstract
Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), commonly named yellow mealworm, far from simply being an important pest for stored grains, also has the potential to be used as a food source for animals and humans, for biodiesel production and more importantly as a valuable biological model for entomological research as it is possible to alter nutritional value and food habits of the larvae. The aim of this study was to develop an artificial diet for mass-rearing T. molitor larvae under laboratory conditions. For this, three artificial diets were assessed (fresh carrot as a control, gelled and encapsulated diet). Larval Weight Gain (LWG), Feed Conversion Rate (FCR), mortality rate, protein and moisture content into the flour were evaluated. The results showed that an encapsulated diet offers an LWG average of 0.209 mg but also presented the lowest FCR with 3.69 kg and the highest protein content with a 65.28 % in the composition of the insect. Not likewise the gelled diet whose results showed even a lower performance than the control (LWG=0.83 mg FCR=5.7 kg) with an LWG of 0.60 mg and FCR of 8.78 kg. With no significant difference (p=0.05) in either moisture or mortality, the encapsulated diet proved to be the most efficient food source for T. molitor mass-rearing larvae under laboratory conditions.
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