Growth performance and feed conversion efficiency of three edible mealworm species (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on diets composed of organic by-products

Insects receive increasing attention as an alternative protein-rich food source for humans. Producing edible insects on diets composed of organic by-products could increase sustainability. In addition, insect growth rate and body composition, and hence nutritional quality, can be altered by diet.Three edible mealworm species Tenebrio molitor L., Zophobas atratus Fab. and Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer were grown on diets composed of organic by-products originating from beer brewing, bread/cookie baking, potato processing and bioethanol production. Experimental diets differed with respect to protein and starch content. Larval growth and survival was monitored. Moreover, effects of dietary composition on feed conversion efficiency and mealworm crude protein and fatty acid profile were assessed. Diet affected mealworm development and feed conversion efficiency such that diets high in yeast-derived protein appear favourable, compared to diets used by commercial breeders, with respect to shortening larval development time, reducing mortality and increasing weight gain. Diet also affected the chemical composition of mealworms. Larval protein content was stable on diets that differed 2–3-fold in protein content, whereas dietary fat did have an effect on larval fat content and fatty acid profile. However, larval fatty acid profile did not necessarily follow the same trend as dietary fatty acid composition. Diets that allowed for fast larval growth and low mortality in this study led to a comparable or less favourable n6/n3 fatty acid ratio compared to control diets used by commercial breeders. In conclusion, the mealworm species used in this study can be grown successfully on diets composed of organic by-products. Diet composition did not influence larval protein content, but did alter larval fat composition to a certain extent.     

Food Value of Mealworm Grown on Acrocomia aculeata Pulp Flour

Insects have played an important role as human food throughout history, especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America. A good example of edible insects is the mealworm, Tenebrio molitor Linnaeus, 1758 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), which are eaten in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. This species is easily bred in captivity, requiring simple management. The bocaiuva (Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd) is an abundant palm tree found in the Brazilian Cerrado, providing fruits with high nutritional value. The aim of this work was to determine the chemical composition of T. molitor grown in different artificial diets with bocaiuva pulp flour. The nutritional composition, fatty acid composition, antioxidant activity, trypsin activity and anti-nutritional factors of larvae were analyzed. The results showed that mealworms grown on artificial diet with bocaiuva are a good source of protein (44.83%) and lipid (40.45%), with significant levels of unsaturated fatty acids (65.99%), antioxidant activity (4.5 μM Trolox/g of oil extracted from larvae) and absence of anti-nutritional factors. This study indicates a new source of biomass for growing mealworms and shows that it is possible to breed mealworms in artificial diet with bocaiuva flour without compromising the nutritional quality of the larvae.     

Feed Conversion,Survival and Development,and Composition of Four Insect Species on Diets Composed of Food By-Products

A large part of the environmental impact of animal production systems is due to the production of feed. Insects are suggested to efficiently convert feed to body mass and might therefore form a more sustainable food and/or feed source. Four diets were composed from by-products of food manufacturing and formulated such as to vary in protein and fat content. These were offered to newly hatched Argentinean cockroaches, black soldier flies, yellow mealworms, and house crickets. The first two species are potentially interesting as a feed ingredient, while the latter two are considered edible for humans. Feed conversion efficiency, survival, development time, as well as chemical composition (nitrogen, phosphorus, and fatty acids), were determined. The Argentinean cockroaches and the black soldier flies converted feed more efficiently than yellow mealworms, and house crickets. The first two were also more efficient than conventional production animals. On three of the four diets yellow mealworms and house crickets had a feed conversion efficiency similar to pigs. Furthermore, on the most suitable diet, they converted their feed as efficiently as poultry, when corrected for edible portion. All four species had a higher nitrogen-efficiency than conventional production animals, when corrected for edible portion. Offering carrots to yellow mealworms increased dry matter- and nitrogen-efficiency and decreased development time. Diet affected survival in all species but black soldier flies, and development time was strongly influenced in all four species. The chemical composition of Argentinean cockroaches was highly variable between diets, for black soldier flies it remained similar. The investigated species can be considered efficient production animals when suitable diets are provided. Hence, they could form a sustainable alternative to conventional production animals as a source of feed or food.     

Complete nutrient composition of commercially raised invertebrates used as food for insectivores

A variety of invertebrates are commonly fed to insectivorous animals by both zoos and hobbyists, but information as to the nutrient composition of most commercially raised species is limited. Adult house crickets, house cricket nymphs (Acheta domesticus), superworms (Zophobas morio larvae), giant mealworm larvae, mealworm larvae and adult mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), waxworm larvae (Galleria mellonella), and silkworm larvae (Bombyx mori) were analyzed for moisture, crude protein, crude fat, ash, acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamins. Earthworms (Lumbricus terresstris) were analyzed for moisture, crude protein, crude fat, ash, ADF, NDF, minerals, amino acids, and vitamins A and D₃. Proximate analyses were variable, with wide ranges found for moisture (57.9–83.6%), crude protein (9.3–23.7%), crude fat (1.6–24.9%), ADF (0.1–7.4%), NDF (0.0–11.5%), and ash (0.6–1.2%). Energy content ranged from a low of 674 kcal/kg for silkworms to 2,741 kcal/kg for waxworms.Using an amino acid scoring pattern for rats, the first limiting amino acid for all invertebrates tested was the total sulfur amino acid methionine+cystine. Deficiencies by nutrient (% of samples deficient vs. NRC requirements for rats on a dry matter (DM) basis) were as follows: calcium (100%), vitamin D₃ (100%), vitamin A (89%), vitamin B₁₂ (75%), thiamin (63%), vitamin E (50%), iodine (44%), manganese (22%), methionine‐cystine (22%), and sodium (11%). Deficiencies by invertebrate species (number of nutrients deficient vs. the NRC requirements for rats on a DM basis) were as follows: waxworms (9), superworms (8), giant mealworm larvae (7), adult mealworms (6), mealworm larvae (5), adult house crickets (4), house cricket nymphs (4), silkworms (4), and earthworms (4). These data provide a basis for determining nutrient intake of captive insectivores, and will aid in the development of gut‐loading diets to provide captive insectivorous animals with appropriate levels of necessary nutrients. Zoo Biol 21:269–285, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Evaluation of a barrier to inhibit lesser mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and dermestidae movement in high-rise, caged-layer poultry facilities

An evaluation of a mechanical barrier to prevent movement of adult and larval lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer); larder beetle, Dermestes lardarius L.; and hide beetle, Dermestes maculatus De Geer was conducted in caged-layer poultry facilities in New York and Maine. The barrier, a plastic collar wrapped around building support posts, proved highly effective at preventing movement of adult lesser mealworms. Significantly more lesser mealworm larvae were recovered from cardboard collar beetle traps placed below both washed and unwashed barriers than from traps placed above washed and unwashed barriers. Similarly, significantly more adult Dermestes were recovered from traps placed below washed barriers than from above both washed and unwashed barriers. The level of fly specking on the barrier was found to have no significant impact on the numbers of adult lesser mealworms and adult and larval Dermestes recovered either above or below barriers. Fly specking level did significantly impact the numbers of lesser mealworm larvae recovered above the barrier. Although washed barriers provided the greatest deterrent to adult lesser mealworms, the presence of the barrier, regardless of the level of fly specking, provided a significant deterrent to beetle climbing success. Washed barriers further reduced climbing success by lesser mealworm larvae by 17%, Dermestes adults by 7-28%, and Dermestes larvae by 33-38%. The high level of climbing observed by adult lesser mealworms suggests that the impact of adult beetle movement toward birds should be considered in its importance in building damage, disease transmission, feed infestation, and bird productivity and health. Observations on cost and maintenance of the barrier are discussed.     

Nutrient dynamics in a tritrophic system of ants,aphids and beans

The interactions between ants (Lasius niger), aphids (Aphis fabae) and plants (Phaseolus vulgaris) were studied in a laboratory experiment with the following treatments: application of N‐fertilizer for plants, supply of mealworms or sugar solution or their combination as alternative food sources for ants. Three main questions were studied: (1) Do ants reduce tending to honeydew‐producing aphids when an alternative sugar or protein resource was available? (2) Is aphid predation/protein consumption by ants higher when additional carbon is offered to maintain the carbon/protein balance? (3) Does fertilizer treatment propagate in the food web? For the experimental analysis stable isotope techniques were applied. δ¹⁵N served as a marker for the pathway from plants to higher trophic levels. Low δ¹⁵N‐value of fertilizer spread from plant shoots to aphids and ants. To trace which sugar‐/protein source was consumed by ants, the different ¹³C/¹²C‐ratios of C₃‐ and C₄‐plants were used with aphids feeding on C₃‐plant material, while mealworm food and sugar solution originated from C₄‐plant material. Fertilizer application had no effect on biomasses of plants, consumers or microflora. Ant biomass was significantly higher when additional sugar solution was offered. Higher contents of ¹³C indicated a high incorporation rate of additional sugar. Additional protein had no effect on colony biomass and no increasing predation on aphids could be observed when carbon was in excess. However, due to the lack of queens and newly produced larvae, protein requirements of experimental colonies were lower than in natural systems. Ants positively affected aphid populations, but reduced tending, whilst having access to an alternative sugar resource. When sugar/protein was offered to ants, the host plant had an increased root/shoot ratio. This indicates that decreasing aboveground activity of ants could lead to reduced plant growth of aphid‐infested plants, presumably due to higher fungal attack on shoots.     

The effect of dietary protein quality on nitrogen isotope discrimination in mammals and birds

We tested the competing hypotheses that (1) nitrogen discrimination in mammals and birds increases with dietary nitrogen concentration or decreasing C:N ratios and, therefore, discrimination will increase with trophic level as carnivores ingest more protein than herbivores and omnivores or (2) nitrogen discrimination increases as dietary protein quality decreases and, therefore, discrimination will decrease with trophic level as carnivores ingest higher quality protein than do herbivores. Discrimination factors were summarized for five major diet groupings and 21 different species of birds and mammals. Discrimination did not differ between mammals and birds and decreased as protein quality (expressed as biological value) increased with trophic level (i.e., herbivores to carnivores). Relationships between discrimination factors and dietary nitrogen concentration or C:N ratios were either the opposite of what was hypothesized or non-significant. Dietary protein quality accounted for 72% of the variation in discrimination factors across diet groupings. We concluded that protein quality established the baseline for discrimination between dietary groupings, while other variables, such as dietary protein intake relative to animal requirements, created within-group variation. We caution about the care needed in developing studies to understand variation in discrimination and subsequently applying those discrimination factors to estimate assimilated diets of wild animals.     

Digestive performance and digesta passage in the omnivorous greater bilby, Macrotis lagotis (Marsupialia: Peramelidae)

Omnivores such as the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) consume a variety of dietary items and often are faced with large changes in the nutrient composition of their food. This paper explores the basis for the dietary flexibility of the bilby by comparing digestive performance and digesta retention patterns of captive bilbies fed either an insect diet (mealworm larvae) or a plant diet (mixed seeds). Mean retention times (MRTs) of particle and solute markers in the gastrointestinal tract did not differ significantly between the two diets, but MRT of the particle marker was significantly longer than that of the solute marker on both the mealworm (particle: 23.5 h; solute: 17.9 h) and mixed seed (particle 33.0 h; solute: 30.2 h) diets. Lack of selective retention of solutes and small particles in the bilby gastrointestinal tract probably restricts them to relatively low-fibre diets, such as those based on seeds rather than leaves and stems of plants. It was observed radiographically that the major sites of digesta retention were the caecum, proximal colon and distal colon, and thus the hindgut is probably the principal site of microbial fermentation. The mealworms were more digestible than the mixed seeds, but digestible energy intake (mealworm: 939 kJ · kg^−0.75 · d⁻¹; mixed seed: 629 kJ · kg^−0.75 · d⁻¹) was high enough for maintenance of body mass and positive nitrogen balance on both diets. Thus, although bilbies may be limited in their ability to utilize high-fibre diets by a lack of selective retention of solutes and small particles in their hindgut, their digestive strategy is flexible enough to accommodate at least some diets of both animal and plant origin. Such a strategy should benefit an animal inhabiting environments in which food resources are unpredictable in their relative abundance. Accepted: 26 May 2000     

The time scale of isotope signals in spiders: molting the remains of a previous diet

Stable isotope analysis (SIA) has emerged as an important tool for understanding consumer diets and diet shifts. However, although the general idea behind SIA is clear, the interpretation of data is often fraught with problems because tissue turnover and fractionations are not known. We investigated shifts in stable isotope composition of spiders following a diet shift, using mealworms fed either maize (C4) or wheat (C3) flour. Mealworms had different carbon isotope composition depending on their diet and this difference was reflected in spider body parts. In the experiment, we first fed the spiders on a diet of either maize‐fed or wheat‐fed mealworms and then switched diet at the time of the second molt. Spiders were then sampled repeatedly until the next molt. We sampled both legs and abdomens, as these are presumed to have different turnover of tissue, and also molt remains were sampled when this was relevant. The data indicated that the spider legs had a turnover of about 20 days, whereas the spider abdomens had a turnover of about 8 days. Molt remains had the slowest turnover and reflected the diet at the previous molt, when the exoskeleton was formed. Both these observations indicate that SIA may be successfully used for elucidating diet shifts. More problematic was the fact that fractionation of carbon isotope ratios varied with body parts and diets. When spiders were fed maize‐mealworms then the fractionation was larger for abdomens, but when the spiders were fed wheat‐mealworms then the fractionation was larger for legs. The mechanisms underlying this pattern are unclear and deserve further attention.     

Relationship between the amino acid release kinetics of feed proteins and nitrogen balance in finishing pigs

In current nutrition requirements of swine, although the protein diets are formulated based on the ileal digestibility of protein and amino acid (AA), there is a difference in nitrogen utilisation among various protein diets, which might be related to the AA release kinetics. To evaluate the relationship between AA release kinetics of feed proteins and nitrogen balance in finishing pigs, pigs were fed diets based on casein (CAS) or corn gluten meal (CGM) at normal or low-protein concentrations, and the AA release patterns were assessed. A 2 × 2 full factorial experimental design was used. 24 pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) with an initial weight of 67.0 ± 1.8 kg were randomly assigned to consume a normal-protein casein-based diet (N.CAS, 10% CP), normal-protein corn gluten meal-based diet (N.CGM, 10% CP), low-protein casein-based diet (L.CAS, 8.5% CP), or low-protein corn gluten meal-based diet (L.CGM, 8.5% CP) for 14 days (n = 6 per group; pigs housed and fed separately). The low-protein diets were associated with a more rapid release of AAs in the early stages of gastric digestion than the normal-protein diets. The N.CAS and L.CAS diets were associated with a peak AA release at approximately 4 h during trypsin digestion, whereas N.CGM and L.CGM were at approximately 16 h. The N.CAS diet was associated with the least dispersed release curves and lowest synchronisation indexes, implying that it was associated with the best AA release synchronism, whereas the L.CGM diet was on the contrary. The nitrogen intake (NI), faecal nitrogen, urine nitrogen (UN), total nitrogen, net protein utilisation and apparent biological value (ABV) of protein of pigs fed the L.CAS or L.CGM diets were lower than those fed the N.CAS or N.CGM diets (P < 0.05). Notably, there was a difference in NI (P < 0.05) and trends with respect to UN and ABV (0.05 < P < 0.1), but no differences in retained nitrogen or apparent nitrogen digestibility between pigs fed the N.CAS or L.CAS diets and those fed the N.CGM or L.CGM diets. Pigs fed the N.CAS or N.CGM diets had higher serum concentrations of UN than pigs fed the L.CAS or L.CGM diets (P < 0.05), but there were no differences in serum total protein, albumin, triglyceride, glucose, alanine transaminase, or aspartate aminotransferase between the groups. In addition, there was an interaction between protein level and protein source on serum globulin (P < 0.05). Therefore, the diet with a better AA release synchronism can improve protein utilisation efficiency in finishing pigs and to reduce environmental pollution.     

Effects of dehydrated lucerne and soya bean meal on milk production and composition,nutrient digestion,and methane and nitrogen losses in dairy cows receiving two different forages

Dehydrated lucerne is used as a protein source in dairy cow rations, but little is known about the effects of lucerne on greenhouse gas production by animals. Eight Holstein dairy cows (average weight: 582 kg) were used in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design. They received diets based on either maize silage (M) or grass silage (G) (45% of diet on dry matter (DM) basis), with either soya bean meal (15% of diet DM) completed with beet pulp (15% of diet DM) (SP) or dehydrated lucerne (L) (30% of diet DM) as protein sources; MSP, ML, GSP and GL diets were calculated to meet energy requirements for milk production by dairy cows and degradable protein for rumen microbes. Dry matter intake (DMI) did not differ among diets (18.0 kg/day DMI); milk production was higher with SP diets than with L diets (26.0 v. 24.1 kg/day), but milk production did not vary with forage type. Milk fatty-acid (FA) composition was modified by both forage and protein sources: L and G diets resulted in less saturated FA, less linoleic acid, more trans-monounsaturated FA, and more linolenic acid than SP and M diets, respectively. Enteric methane (CH₄) production, measured by the SF₆ tracer method, was higher for G diets than for M diets, but did not differ with protein source. The same effects were observed when CH₄ was expressed per kg milk. Minor effects of diets on rumen fermentation pattern were observed. Manure CH₄ emissions estimated from faecal organic matter were negatively related to diet digestibility and were thus higher for L than SP diets, and higher for M than G diets; the resulting difference in total CH₄ production was small. Owing to diet formulation constraints, N intake was higher for SP than for L diets; interaction between forage type and protein source was significant for N intake. The same statistical effects were found for N in milk. Faecal and urinary N losses were determined from total faeces and urine collection. Faecal N output was lower for M than for G diets but did not differ between protein sources. Urinary N output did not differ between forage types, but was lower for cows fed L diets than for cows fed SP diets, potentially resulting in lower ammonia emissions with L diets. Replacing soya bean meal plus beet pulp with dehydrated lucerne did not change CH₄ production, but resulted in more N in faeces and less N in urine.     

Environmental Impact of the Production of Mealworms as a Protein Source for Humans – A Life Cycle Assessment

The demand for animal protein is expected to rise by 70–80% between 2012 and 2050, while the current animal production sector already causes major environmental degradation. Edible insects are suggested as a more sustainable source of animal protein. However, few experimental data regarding environmental impact of insect production are available. Therefore, a lifecycle assessment for mealworm production was conducted, in which greenhouse gas production, energy use and land use were quantified and compared to conventional sources of animal protein. Production of one kg of edible protein from milk, chicken, pork or beef result in higher greenhouse gas emissions, require similar amounts of energy and require much more land. This study demonstrates that mealworms should be considered a more sustainable source of edible protein.     

Metabolic routing of dietary nutrients in birds: effects of diet quality and macronutrient composition revealed using stable isotopes

During fall migration many songbirds switch from consuming primarily insects to consuming mostly fruit. Fruits with more carbohydrates and less protein may be sufficient to rebuild expended fat stores, but such fruits may be inadequate to replace catabolized protein. We manipulated the concentrations and isotopic signatures of macronutrients in diets fed to birds to study the effects of diet quality on metabolic routing of dietary nutrients. We estimated that approximately 45% and 75%, respectively, of the carbon in proteinaceous tissue of birds switched to high- or low-protein diets came from nonprotein dietary sources. In contrast, we estimated that approximately 100% and 20%-80%, respectively, of the nitrogen in proteinaceous tissues of birds switched to high- or low-protein diets was attributable to dietary protein. Thus, the routing and assimilation of dietary carbon and nitrogen differed depending on diet composition. As a result, delta (15)N of tissues collected from wild animals that consume high-quality diets may reliably indicate the dietary protein source, whereas delta (13)C of these same tissues is likely the product of metabolic routing of carbon from several macronutrients. These results have implications for how isotopic discrimination is best estimated and how we can study macronutrient routing in wild animals.     

Managing N inputs and the effect on N losses following excretion in open-dirt feedlots in Nebraska

Nutrition will play an important role in meeting the environmental challenges of beef cattle feedlots. Nutritionists are continually refining protein requirements, and have recently adopted a new metabolizable protein (MP) system to more efficiently use nitrogen (N) and allow more accurate diet formulation. Protein requirements vary by animal age and weight during the finishing period. Our hypothesis was that formulating diets with the MP system would decrease N inputs and lead to decreased excretion and losses. Comparing industry average diets (13.5% crude protein) to phase-fed diets formulated to not exceed MP requirements decreased N inputs by 10 to 20% for calves and yearlings without affecting average daily gain. Decreasing inputs led to a concomitant decrease in N excretion (12 to 21%) and losses (15 to 33%) in open-dirt feedlot pens. N losses are variable with time of year, with averages of 60 to 70% of excreted N lost during the summer months and 40% lost during the November to May feeding periods. Protein requirements are being refined continually as more research data are collected. However, formulation to meet protein requirements, but not exceed them, is an important nutritional management option for feedlots to become sustainable.     

The effect of the source of nitrogen supplementation on nitrogen balance,rates of plasma leucine turnover,protein synthesis and degradation in sheep

Combined experiments of the isotope dilution method of [1-¹³C]leucine, open-circuit calorimetry and nitrogen (N) balance test were used to determine the effect of the source of N supplementation on N balance, whole body protein synthesis (WBPS) and degradation (WBPD) in sheep. The experiment was performed in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design. The control diet consisted of timothy hay, ground maize and soybean meal. The urea diet was the control diet supplemented with 1.5% urea. The SBM diet contained the same N and metabolisable energy as the urea diet, which was reached by changing ground maize and soybean meal weights of the control diet. Nitrogen retention was greater (p < 0.05) for the urea diet than the control and SBM diets. Plasma urea concentrations were highest for the SBM diet, followed by the urea diet, and the control diet was lowest. The WBPS and WBPD did not differ between diets, but were numerically lower for the urea and SBM diets. These results suggest that in sheep, urea supplementation influenced N retention without clear changes in WBPS and WBPD.     

The nitrogen requirements and dietary nitrogen utilization for the gecarcinid land crab Gecarcoidea natalis

The nitrogen requirements for tissue maintenance, moulting, and oogenesis were determined experimentally for the herbivorous land crab Gecarcoidea natalis. The maintenance nitrogen requirements for intermoult animals was very low (4.83+/-1.68 mmol N kg-1 dry body wt d-1), but during oogenesis the total requirement was much higher (8. 6 mmol N kg-1 dry body wt d-1). Gecarcoidea natalis could potentially assimilate enough nitrogen from rain forest leaf litter or leaves of Ficus or Erythrina to satisfy not only the maintenance nitrogen requirements but the observed rate of incorporation of nitrogen into the ovaries during oogenesis. The ovaries developed slowly over a period of 2 mo (mid-July to late September) and had a final nitrogen content of 359+/-15.9 (n=18) mmol kg-1 dry body wt. This was equivalent to 9.3%+/-0.4% of the total body nitrogen. A substantial nitrogen debt was incurred during ecdysis (658+/-126 mmol kg-1 dry body wt). This nitrogen debt could be satisfied slowly, from leaf litter, over a period of 1-3 mo. After ecdysis, the majority of the nitrogen and urate within the animal prior to moulting was retained within the soft crab (85.0%+/-1.2% total nitrogen, 82.0%+/-1.2% nonurate nitrogen and 99.56% urate), while only a minority was lost with the exuviae (18.0%+/-1.2% total nitrogen, 14.7%+/-1.2% nonurate nitrogen, and 0.4%+/-0.4% urate). The urate deposits in G. natalis were not mobilized as a source of nitrogen in animals maintained on a nitrogen-free diet.     

Protein Retention Assessment of Four Levels of Poultry By-Product Substitution of Fishmeal in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Diets Using Stable Isotopes of Nitrogen (δ15N) as Natural Tracers

This is second part from an experiment where the nitrogen retention of poultry by-product meal (PBM) compared to fishmeal (FM) was evaluated using traditional indices. Here a quantitative method using stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ¹⁵N values) as natural tracers of nitrogen incorporation into fish biomass is assessed. Juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were fed for 80 days on isotopically distinct diets in which 0, 33, 66 and 100% of FM as main protein source was replaced by PBM. The diets were isonitrogenous, isolipidic and similar in gross energy content. Fish in all treatments reached isotopic equilibrium by the end of the experiment. Two-source isotope mixing models that incorporated the isotopic composition of FM and PBM as well as that of formulated feeds, empirically derived trophic discrimination factors and the isotopic composition of fish that had reached isotopic equilibrium to the diets were used to obtain a quantitative estimate of the retention of each source of nitrogen. Fish fed the diets with 33 and 66% replacement of FM by PBM retained poultry by-product meal roughly in proportion to its level of inclusion in the diets, whereas no differences were detected in the protein efficiency ratio. Coupled with the similar biomass gain of fishes fed the different diets, our results support the inclusion of PBM as replacement for fishmeal in aquaculture feeds. A re-feeding experiment in which all fish were fed a diet of 100% FM for 28 days indicated isotopic turnover occurred very fast, providing further support for the potential of isotopic ratios as tracers of the retention of specific protein sources into fish tissues. Stable isotope analysis is a useful tool for studies that seek to obtain quantitative estimates of the retention of different protein sources.     

A new culture method for lesser mealworm,Alphitobius diaperinus

A new culture method for lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), was developed to provide large numbers of adult lesser mealworms of approximately the same age for insecticide resistance testing. Culturing entailed allowing 100 adults to reproduce for 4 days in a wheat‐based culture medium contained inside a plastic culture box, removing the adults from the medium, and then rearing their progeny to adulthood therein, in approximately 56 days at 32°C and 55% RH. During their development, progeny were supplied water via apple slices at 0, 21 and 35 days, and a foam substrate in which to pupate, also at 35 days. During 2004–2005, adult lesser mealworms were collected from six broiler‐house populations and then cultured with this method. Each population produced 4500 adults required to complete resistance testing with one insecticide within ten culture boxes, at an average of 798 adults per culture box.     

Assimilation of carbon and nitrogen from pollen and nectar by a predaceous larva and its effects on growth and development

Abstract. 1. Predaceous insects may benefit from feeding on non‐prey foods, such as pollen, nectar, and honeydew, because they can provide nutrients that help maintain metabolism and enhance overall nutrient intake. Yet, the extent to which predaceous insects can assimilate non‐prey food and the importance of diet mixing during particular life history stages is poorly understood. In this study the relative contribution of an omnivorous diet to the growth and survivorship of a predaceous larva was tested in a hypothetical situation in which nutritionally optimal prey was not available. The study system comprised a predaceous larva (second‐ and third‐instar larvae of the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea), nutritionally poor prey (larvae of Drosophila melanogaster), and non‐prey food (pollen suspension, a mixture of bee pollen and artificial nectar (1 M sucrose solution)). Chrysoperla carnea larvae in the mixed diet treatment were provided with both Drosophila larvae and pollen suspension, while those reared on the prey and non‐prey diet treatments received only Drosophila larvae or pollen suspension respectively. 2. The inclusion of pollen and sucrose in their diet enhanced the growth of C. carnea larvae. Second instars reared on the mixed diet developed significantly faster than their cohorts reared on the prey diet, however third instars reared on the mixed diet did not develop faster than their cohorts reared on the prey diet. Larvae reared on the mixed diet became larger adults than did those reared on either the prey or non‐prey diets. Third instars reared on the non‐prey diet completed their development while second instars in the non‐prey diet treatment failed to pupate. 3. Stable isotope analysis indicated that the larvae obtained most of their carbon (55–73%) and nitrogen (71–73%) from Drosophila but acquired only a minor amount of carbon (2–5%) and nitrogen (3–11%) from pollen. Larvae reared on the mixed and non‐prey diets acquired a relatively significant amount of carbon (23–51%) from sucrose. 4. A model, which included a novel fractionation factor to account for the isotopic effect of metamorphosis, was developed to explain the proportion of larval growth attributable to each diet item. It explained the adult δ¹³C values to within 0.2‰ and adult δ¹⁵N values to within 0.7‰ in all treatments. 5. Adults fed ¹⁵N‐labelled pollen as larvae retained the ¹⁵N signal of the pollen as adults. 6. The collective results of this study support the view that, despite their dependence on prey arthropods to obtain most of their dietary nitrogen, omnivorous lacewing larvae can enhance their growth and development by supplementing their diets with alternative non‐prey food resources. This finding is consistent with the notion that omnivory has evolved as a feeding strategy to acquire both additional nitrogen as well as trace nutrients.     

山西乡宁内阳垣遗址先民食物结构分析

本文应用C、N稳定同位素分析方法,对山西乡宁内阳垣遗址先民的食物结构进行了分析,旨在揭示该遗址先民的生活方式及社会经济状况,探索戎狄对该遗址先民的影响。分析表明,该遗址先民的δ13C平均值为-8.27‰,δ15N平均值为9.54‰,由此推测他们主要的经济模式应为畜牧业。考古学证据显示该遗址主体文化为晋,但食物结构分析却反映,先民的经济模式主要为畜牧业,明显受到了游牧民族(戎狄)的影响。样品XNM50具有异常的δ13C值(-15.36‰)和较高的δ15N值(9.88‰),当与其从事狩猎活动有关。δ13C和δ15N的统计分析表明,不同性别的先民在食物结构上无明显差异,而不同规格的墓葬却差异明显。