Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) rearing and growth optimization as a sustainable food source using various larval diets under laboratory conditions

• Published in: Entomologia experimentalis et applicata 2024-09, Vol.172 (9), p.827-836
• Main Authors: Shah, Azaz Ali, Usman, Amjad, Khan, Sarzamin, Khan, Faheem, Ahmed, Nazeer, Al‐Mekhlafi, Fahd A., Wadaan, Muhammad A., Malook, Saif ul, Iqbal, Toheed, Ullah, Misbah, Sohail, Kamran, Ali, Hamid, Ali, Ijaz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: barley; Coleoptera; Corn; Diet; edible insect; females; Food; Food production; Food sources; High protein diet; insect farming; Insects; larva; Larvae; Livestock; males; mass rearing; mealworm; mortality; nutritional composition; Porridge; protein sources; Proteins; Sex ratio; Sustainability; sustainable agriculture; sustainable food source; Sustainable food systems; Sustainable practices; Sustainable production; Tenebrio molitor; Tenebrionidae; Wheat; Wheat bran
• ISSN: 0013-8703; 1570-7458
• DOI: 10.1111/eea.13463

A new approach to supplying foods and feeds that are high in protein has emerged in the form of insect farming. Insect‐farmed food may also serve as part of a sustainable diet for humans. The mealworm Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is the most widely consumed insect worldwide. In this study, 10 larval diets were tested in the laboratory to determine their suitability for mass‐feeding mealworms at 28 °C and 60–65% r.h., in a completely randomized design. Various larval diets had a significant impact on the biological features of T. molitor. The larvae, pupae, and adults were greater on diets containing wheat bran alone and wheat bran in combination with maize and porridge. Larval mortality was significantly higher (60.7%) on a diet with porridge alone, compared to a control diet, followed by diets with porridge in combination with barley (55.6%) or maize (50.6%). Sex ratio was also affected by the tested larval diets. Female hatch (65%) was higher than male hatch (35%) on diet containing wheat bran alone as compared to all other diets. The findings contribute to optimizing mealworm rearing practices for sustainable food production and promote the potential use of mealworms as a viable protein source – especially livestock diets based on mealworm reared on wheat bran show promise. The rearing and growth optimization of mealworms, Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), as a sustainable food source were investigated under laboratory conditions. Ten larval diets, varying in protein sources, carbohydrates, and essential nutrients, were explored to enhance mealworm growth and nutritional value. The findings contribute to optimizing mealworm rearing practices for sustainable food production and promote the potential use of mealworms as a viable protein source.