Effect of different diets on growth and development of the two-spotted cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

Abstract

Many insects have gained increasing attention as an alternative protein for humans. Among those, the two-spotted cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), was recently approved as a general food ingredient by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. For industrial utilization of G. bimaculatus, mass rearing techniques and production system should be standardized first. In this study, we investigated the effects of five different feeds on the growth and development of G. bimaculatus. Feed is the one of the key factors that has considerable effects on rearing insects. With five different kinds of feed on 1 st , 3 rd , and 5 th instar nymphs, the change of survival rate, body weight were monitored up to eight wk after hatching. We concluded that 50% of soybean flour, 20% of corn powder, 10% of rice bran, 9% of milk serum, 10% of rice flour, 0.5% of microorganisms, and 0.5% of multivitamins and minerals (diet C) was the best mix for promoting growth and development of 3 rd instar nymphs compared to the control diet.