Minerals in edible insects:a review of content and potential for sustainable sourcing

In response to the rapid increase in world population and subsequent demands for food,edible insects represent an alternative food source for humans that is rich in proteins,amino acids and minerals.Entomophagy is a tradition in many countries including China and Thailand,and edible insects have attracted a lot of attention in Western World due to their suitable nutrient composition,high mineral content(e.g.,Fe,Zn,Ca,Mg)and potential use as a supplement in human diet.In this study,we surveyed mineral content in seven insect orders and 67 species of mass produced and wild-harvested edible insects.The total content of essential elements in edible insects was very high in Tenebrio molitor,Bombyx mori,and Zonocerus variegatus.The heavy metal content(summarized for eight species)was below the maximum limit allowed for safe consumption.Sustainable supply of minerals derived from insect biomass is complicated due to the high variations of mineral content in insects and the potential of its change due to processing.

31 Plant Species against Blood Feeding and Disease Vectors Insects: Beyond Anti-Insect Properties, Unvalued Opportunities and Challenges for Health and Sustainability

Plants with bioactive properties are greatly useful in preventing and controlling blood-sucking and disease-vector invertebrates, particularly in developing countries and low-income communities. Their application is a promising alternative to synthetic compounds whose use remains a health, environmental, and economic challenge. However, many are still unknown and unvalued, while others are becoming ignored and threatened. The main objective of this ethnobotanical study is to identify and characterize indigenous and locally grown plants against blood-sucking and disease-vector insects. Salient opportunities and challenges of using these plants are documented and discussed. Semi-structured interviews, using a prepared questionnaire, were conducted with 228 informants. The consensus index (CI) was calculated to analyze the reliability of the collected information. The identified 31 anti-insect plant species belong to 20 botanical families, four morphological categories, and six habitat types. They can be categorized as insecticidal plants (42% of the total), insect repellent (42% of the total), and both insecticidal and insect repellent (16% of the total). More than 54% of these are still abundant in the study area, while about 35.5% have become rare and difficultly accessible. Based on the numerical importance of related anti-insect plant species, the seven targeted blood-sucking insects range in the following decreasing order: Jiggers (16 species) > Fire Ants (9 species) > Flies (8 plants) > Mosquitoes (4 species) > Fleas (2 species) > Bedbugs (1 species) > lice (0 species). The three most commonly used plants, with the highest confirmation indices, are Tetradenia riparia (ICs = 0.712), Eucalyptus globulus subsp. maidenii (ICs = 0.302), and Solanum aculeastrum (ICs = 0.288). The antimicrobial role of many locally grown anti-insect plants and the multiple other associated valorization possibilities are ignored by most informants. Domesticating, propagating, protecting, and promoting the sustainable use of these plants would be an appropriate route for their conservation and continued availability.

A Review on Characteristics, Extraction Methods and Applications of Renewable Insect Protein

Due to the expected rise in the world population,an increase in the requirements for quality and safety of food and feed is expected,which leads to the growing demand for new sources of sustainable and renewable protein.Insect protein is gaining importance as a renewable material for several reasons,reflecting its potential contribu-tions to sustainability,resource efficiency,and environmental conservation.Some insect species are known to be able to efficiently convert organic waste into high-value products such as protein,requiring less land and water compared to traditional livestock.In addition,insect farming produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions,contri-buting to mitigating climate change.Insects are considered as a major potential alternative to animal or plant protein due to their many nutritional benefits,including high protein,mineral,and vitamin contents.On average,the protein content of insects ranges between 35%and 60%dry weight,which exceeds plant protein sources,such as cereal,soybeans,and lentils.As the acceptance of insect protein grows and technologies advance,the food and feed industries continue to explore and expand their applications,offering consumers diverse and sustainable pro-tein choices.In this review,we discuss the recentfindings relating to insect protein focusing on its characteristics,extraction methods,applications,and opportunities along with some trade-offs and uncertainties.

Regional selection of insecticides and fungal biopesticides to control aphids and thrips and improve the forage quality of alfalfa crops

The efficacies of biological and conventional chemical insecticides against two major insect pests of alfalfa(aphids and thrips)were compared in three sites across China’s alfalfa belt.In addition,the persistence of the residues of chemical insecticides in alfalfa and their influence on the quality of alfalfa hay were examined.Efficacy varied among the different biological and chemical insecticides.The chemical insecticides were significantly more effective than biopesticides in a short time-frame.The efficacy period of biopesticides was significantly longer than that of chemical insecticides,and the corrected mortality rate of aphids in all regions was above 50%at 14 days after application.The analysis of pesticide residues showed that the residual doses of all the pesticides were within the allowed ranges after the safe period.The acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber contents in alfalfa hay were higher and the protein content was lower in chemical insecticide treatments than in biopesticide treatments in Hebei.The relative feeding value of alfalfa hay treated with Metarhizium anisopliae IPP330189 was the highest among the treatments.Compared with chemical insecticides,the yield of alfalfa hay was higher in the biopesticides treatments.Biopesticides show a stronger control effect on insect populations and also a better improvement in the quality of alfalfa hay than chemical insecticides.This study provides a basis for exploring and developing a comprehensive control regime for alfalfa insect pests in the different alfalfa-growing regions in China,and for reducing chemical insecticide usage and improving forage quality.

MRUNet:A two-stage segmentation model for small insect targets in complex environments

Online automated identification of farmland pests is an important auxiliary means of pest control.In practical applications,the online insect identification system is often unable to locate and identify the target pest accurately due to factors such as small target size,high similarity between species and complex backgrounds.To facilitate the identification of insect larvae,a two-stage segmentation method,MRUNet was proposed in this study.Structurally,MRUNet borrows the practice of object detection before semantic segmentation from Mask R-CNN and then uses an improved lightweight UNet to perform the semantic segmentation.To reliably evaluate the segmentation results of the models,statistical methods were introduced to measure the stability of the performance of the models among samples in addition to the evaluation indicators commonly used for semantic segmentation.The experimental results showed that this two-stage image segmentation strategy is effective in dealing with small targets in complex backgrounds.Compared with existing state-of-the-art semantic segmentation methods,MRUNet shows better stability and detail processing ability under the same conditions.This study provides a reliable reference for the automated identification of insect larvae.

CRISPR-based genetic control strategies for insect pests

Genetic control strategies such as the sterile insect technique have successfully fought insect pests worldwide. The CRISPR(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technology, together with high-quality genomic resources obtained in more and more species, greatly facilitates the development of novel genetic control insect strains that can be used in area-wide and species-specific pest control programs. Here, we review the research progress towards state-of-art CRISPR-based genetic control strategies, including gene drive, sex ratio distortion, CRISPRengineered genetic sexing strains, and precision-guided sterile insect technique. These strategies’ working mechanisms,potential resistance development mechanisms, and regulations are illustrated and discussed. In addition, recent developments such as stacked and conditional systems are introduced. We envision that the advances in genetic technology will continue to be one of the driving forces for developing the next generation of pest control strategies.

Defensive Role of Plant Latex on Insect Pests’ Suppression: A Critical Review

Over 350 million years have passed since the documentation of the first interaction between plants and insects. Numerous plant defense qualities and associated counter-adaptive features have developed as a result of these interactions between insects and plants. These characteristics might be either morphological or biological in nature. One of the most significant and useful biochemical characteristics in plants is latex. Latex has a sticky property due to presence of secondary metabolites in it, which aids in entangling or sealing the mouthparts of small insects. These metabolites also chemically interact with the insects interfering with crucial bodily processes. Plant latex has amazing properties that help protect plants from insects and inhibit them in general. It may be possible to control insect pests in a natural, secure, and long-lasting manner by correctly identifying plant latex with strong insecticidal properties and developing formulations of plant latex.

Efficacy of Beneficial Fungi Isolates in Solanum lycopersicum L. Protection against Lepidopteran Insects through a Leaf Inoculation Technique

Helicoverpa armigera is a key insect pest of tomatoes reducing drastically yields. The effect of the endophytic colonization of tomato plants by Beauveria bassiana using leaf spray as an inoculation method on damage and survival of H. armigera was assessed in a screen house. Two B. bassiana isolates (Bb 115 and Bb 11) and two tomato varieties (a local variety Tounvi and an improved variety Padma) were included in the study. The adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces were sprayed at a concentration of 107 conidia/ml and 109 conidia/ml for each isolate and each of the two tomato varieties. Thirty days after inoculation, five discs of tomato leaf and tomato root were cut for each isolate, each concentration per isolate and for each variety. The samples were incubated at room temperature (28°C ± 2°C) and periodically checked for fungal growth. Larval survival was checked and a damage assessment was done on tomato flowers and the leaves. The results show that the lowest Mean Survival Times (MSTs) were recorded on larvae feeding on plants inoculated with Bb 11 (4.2 ± 0.8 days against 11.5 ± 0.2 days for control). Compared to the other treatments, low damage rates of the flowers of the improved variety inoculated with Bb 11 at 109 conidia/ml were recorded from the 6th Day After Inoculation (DAI). This rate remains low until the end of treatment. Overall flower damage was lower than leaf damage. The results showed large differences in pathogenicity, with most endophytic isolate belonging to Bb 11 when inoculated at 109 conidia/ml using the leaf spraying technique. Data were discussed with regard to the use of endophytism B. bassiana in an integrated tomato pest control approach.

Diversity of Insect Flower Visitors on Macadamia within a Monoculture Orchard in Murang’a County, Central Kenya

Macadamia is cultivated for its nutritious edible kernel. In Kenya, the crop is predominantly grown by smallholder farmers mainly for export markets. Macadamia trees also enhance agro-forestry conservation, in the East African farmlands, by providing habitat and floral resources to beneficial arthropods such as insect pollinators. Allogamy of macadamia flowers is largely dependent on insects that pollinate and consequently influence the nut set, retention and yield. However, there is limited information on macadamia insect flower visitors in Kenya. This article assessed the diversity of insects that forage flowers of macadamia crop, and further evaluated their temporal distribution, in Murang’a county, central Kenya. Insect flower visitors were sampled weekly using a butterfly net for twelve consecutive months, from January 2021 to December 2021. Sixty-one insect species were recorded foraging macadamia flowers in Murang’a county, central Kenya. There was a statistical difference in the Simpson diversity index among weather seasons, dry, long rain, cold and short rain (p Apis mellifera), a key pollinator species, being the most abundant flower visitor. This study provides strong baseline information, to scientists and farmers, on probable macadamia pollinator species, in central Kenya. .

Growth performance and scale insect infestation of Shorea leprosula in a common garden experimental plot

Many tree planting programmes have long been initiated to increase forest cover to mitigate the effects of global climate change.Successful planting requires careful planning at the project level,including using suitable species with favourable traits.However,there is a paucity of improvement data for tropical tree species.An experimental common garden of Shorea leprosula was established to study traits related to growth performance which are key factors in planting success.Seedlings of S.leprosula were collected from nine geographical forest reserves.To study the effects of genetic variation,seedlings were planted in a common environment following a randomized complete block design.From performance data collected 2017‒2019,one population showed the highest coefficient for relative height growth,significantly higher than most of the other populations.Interestingly,this population from Beserah also exhibited the lowest coefficient for scale insect infestation.This study provides preliminary results on growth performance and susceptibility to scale insect infestation in S.leprosula and the first common garden experiment site conducted on dipterocarp species.It lays a foundation for future genome-wide studies.

Modified Metaheuristics with Transfer Learning Based Insect Pest Classification for Agricultural Crops

Crop insect detection becomes a tedious process for agronomists because a substantial part of the crops is damaged,and due to the pest attacks,the quality is degraded.They are the major reason behind crop quality degradation and diminished crop productivity.Hence,accurate pest detection is essential to guarantee safety and crop quality.Conventional identification of insects necessitates highly trained taxonomists to detect insects precisely based on morphological features.Lately,some progress has been made in agriculture by employing machine learning(ML)to classify and detect pests.This study introduces a Modified Metaheuristics with Transfer Learning based Insect Pest Classification for Agricultural Crops(MMTL-IPCAC)technique.The presented MMTL-IPCAC technique applies contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization(CLAHE)approach for image enhancement.The neural architectural search network(NASNet)model is applied for feature extraction,and a modified grey wolf optimization(MGWO)algorithm is employed for the hyperparameter tuning process,showing the novelty of the work.At last,the extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost)model is utilized to carry out the insect classification procedure.The simulation analysis stated the enhanced performance of the MMTL-IPCAC technique in the insect classification process with maximum accuracy of 98.73%.

Current status and prospects of insect industrialization in China

Insects are a valuable biological resource on Earth,known for their high biodiversity,ease of cultivation,and large populations.In China,the utilization of insects has a long history and has produced significant economic and social benefits.Insect products such as silkworms,silk,and bees are already familiar to the public and have continuously promoted the global economy.Recently,in some ethnic minority areas of China,insect industries have become the main source of fiscal revenue and an essential industrial support for rural revitalization.This has laid a strong foundation for research and development in the insect industry throughout China.It is urgent to utilize national resources to focus on strategic issues related to the high effective development of the insect industry.By gathering related resources for insect research,breakthroughs are expected in the discovery and development of innovative materials,drugs,and proteins based on insect resources.Such advancements will create significant value for human society.

Historical and current climates affect the spatial distribution of herbivorous tree insects in China

Historical and current climate impacts reshape the evolutionary trajectory and ecological dynamics of entire vegetative communities,which can drive insect species distribution.Understanding the spatial distribution of insects can enhance forest management effectiveness.The effects of historical and current climates in the spatial distribution of herbivorous tree insects in China were explored.A species distribution model simulated insect spatial distribution based on 596 species and the distribution probability and richness of these species were assessed in forest ecoregions.The explanatory power of the historical climate was stronger than that of the current climate,particularly historical annual precipitation and annual mean temperatures,for the distribution of herbivorous insects.Under both historical and current climatic conditions,herbivorous tree insects were and are mainly distributed in the North China Plain and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain,namely in the Huang He Plain mixed forests,Changjiang Plain evergreen forests,and Sichuan Basin evergreen broadleaf forests.The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and northeast China are regions with large impact differences between historical and current climates.The findings of this study provide valuable insights into herbivorous insect responses to sustained climate change and may contribute to long-term biodiversity conservation activities.

Risk of control failure to insecticides malathion,profenophos+cypermethrin mixture,and fipronil in boll weevil(Coleoptera:Curculionidae)populations from Bahia,Brazil

Background To control the boll weevil Anthonomus grandis grandis(Coleoptera:Curculionidae),a key pest of cotton in the Americas,insecticides have been intensively used to manage their populations,increasing selection pressure for resistant populations.Thus,this study aimed to detect insecticide resistance and assess insecticide control failure likelihood of boll weevil populations exposed to malathion,profenophos+cypermethrin,and fipronil insecticides.Results Twelve populations of the boll weevil were collected from commercial cotton fileds of the state of Bahia,northeastern Brazil.These populations were exposed to malathion,profenophos+cypermethrin mixture,and fipronil,at their respective maximum label dose for field applications.Three replicates of 10 adult beetles were exposed to the insecticides and mortality was recorded after 24 h treatment.The control failure likelihood was determined after 48 h.Highest median lethal times(LT_(50))were observed for malathion and the profenophos+cypermethrin mixture.Resistance to at least one insecticide was detected in 11 populations;three populations were resistant to malathion and profenophos+cypermethrin;seven were resistant to all insecticides tested.The resistance levels were low(<10-fold)for the three insecticides.Among 12 populations tested,58%of them exhibited significant risk of control failure for the insecticides malathion and profenophos+cypermethrin.The insecticide fipronil was efficient for the control of the boll weevil in 83%of the populations.Conclusions The results confirm the significant risk of insecticide control failure in the boll weevil populations to the main compounds used in the region.Thus,proper insecticide resistance management plans are necessary for the boll weevil in the region,particularly for malathion and profenophos+cypermethrin insecticides.

Identification and Evaluation of Insect and Disease Resistance in Transgenic Cry1Ab13-1 and NPR1 Maize

PCR detection,quantitative real-time PCR(q-RTPCR),outdoor insect resistance,and disease resistance identification were carried out for the detection of genetic stability and disease resistance through generations(T2,T3,and T4)in transgenic maize germplasms(S3002 and 349)containing the bivalent genes(insect resistance gene Cry1Ab13-1 and disease resistance gene NPR1)and their corresponding wild type.Results indicated that the target genes Cry1Ab13-1 and NPR1 were successfully transferred into both germplasms through tested generations;q-PCR confirmed the expression of Cry1Ab13-1 and NPR1 genes in roots,stems,and leaves of tested maize plants.In addition,S3002 and 349 bivalent gene-transformed lines exhibited resistance to large leaf spots and corn borer in the field evaluation compared to the wild type.Our study confirmed that Cry1Ab13-1 and NPR1 bivalent genes enhanced the resistance against maize borer and large leaf spot disease and can stably inherit.These findings could be exploited for improving other cultivated maize varieties.

Species and Control Techniques of Main Diseases and Insect Pests of Camellia oleifera in Anhui Province

[Objectives]The paper was to master the species,incidence regularity and control techniques of main diseases and insect pests of Camellia oleifera in Anhui Province.[Methods]The species of main diseases and insect pests of C.oleifera in major C.oleifera afforestation bases and seedling bases in Anhui Province were investigated through field survey and literature search.Afterwards,the symptom characteristics,occurrence regularity and harms of diseases and insect pests were analyzed,and scientific and reasonable control techniques were put forward.[Results]The main diseases of C.oleifera in Anhui Province were soft rot disease,blister blight,anthracnose,sooty blotch,etc.,and the main insect pests were Euproctis pseudoconspersa,Biston marginata,Hypomeces squamosus,Curculio chinensts,Chrenoma atritarsis,etc.The control techniques mainly included ecological regulation,physical prevention and control,chemical prevention and control,and biological prevention and control.[Conclusions]The results will promote the high-quality development of C.oleifera industry in Anhui Province,and contribute to the improvement of China s edible vegetable oil supply and national grain and oil security.

Synthesis, Characterization and Phytotoxicity Assessment of Intercalated Insect Pheromone, Lignoceric Acid-Zinc Layered Hydroxide Nanohybrid

A long chain insect pheromone for subterranean termites, LC (Lignoceric Acid), was intercalated into the inorganic interlayer, ZLH (Zinc Layered Hydroxide), resulting in the formation of a new nanohybrid, labelled as LCN (Lignocerate Nanohybrid). The formation of this inorganic-organic structure nanohybrid was synthesized by the co-precipitation method using ZnO (Zinc Oxide) as the starting material. The PXRD (Powder X-Ray Diffraction) results confirmed the intercalation process although the diffraction patterns of the resultant nanohybrid and the unbound pheromone were fairly similar but both have different basal spacings values. The FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) profiles and the chemical composition test supported the intercalation process with the percentage loading of LC into ZLH calculated to be 85%. The thermal stability of the free anion, LC was enhanced when it was transformed into LCN, increasing from 257 °C to 352 °C. The release of LC from the nanohybrid behaved in a sustained manner, governed by the pseudo-second order kinetic model with higher release of LC in sodium carbonate solution than the pH aqueous media. The synthesized nanohybrid was found to be safe for plant germination when the two seed types were successfully germinated in all the tested nanohybrid concentrations. However, the percentage seed germination and the radical seed length from the nanohybrid showed lower values compared to its counterpart anion, LC.

抗虫转基因水稻及其杂交水稻对土壤微生物群落多样性与组成的影响

微生物是土壤物质循环与肥力演变的驱动者,其群落组成关系到土壤微生态系统的稳定与可持续性。对抗虫转基因水稻土壤微生物群落变化的研究是其环境安全性评价的重要内容。本研究基于细菌16S rRNA基因和真菌ITS基因的高通量测序,分析了田间试验中抗虫转基因水稻‘MFB’及其转基因杂交水稻‘闽丰A/MFB’‘天丰A/MFB’和‘谷丰A/MFB’与非转基因常规水稻‘闽恢3301’及杂交水稻‘天优华占’的土壤微生物群落多样性与组成的差异,并得出以下结果。首先,与两个非转基因水稻品种相比,抗虫转基因水稻及转基因杂交水稻均能显著增产(P<0.05)。同时,高通量测序结果表明,除水稻成熟期的土壤真菌群落外,与‘闽恢3301’相比‘MFB’的土壤细菌或真菌群落的α-多样性指数Chao1、Observed_species和Shannon均有所提高,且分别在水稻成熟期或分蘖期达到显著性水平(P<0.05);水稻齐穗期转基因杂交水稻‘闽丰A/MFB’‘天丰A/MFB’和‘谷丰A/MFB’的土壤细菌及真菌群落的多样性指数Shannon均介于‘MFB’与‘天优华占’之间;微生物群落β-多样性分析结果表明,本田间试验中不同品种水稻土壤细菌或真菌的群落组成均没有显著差异。但与‘闽恢3301’相比,稻田土壤细菌中丰度最高的变形菌门的相对丰度在‘MFB’土壤中明显增加,且在水稻分蘖期及成熟期达显著水平(P<0.05),而土壤真菌中丰度最高的子囊菌门的相对丰度在‘MFB’土壤中明显减少,且在水稻分蘖期及齐穗期差异显著(P<0.05);水稻齐穗期‘闽丰A/MFB’‘天丰A/MFB’和‘谷丰A/MFB’的土壤变形菌门或子囊菌门的相对丰度也均介于‘MFB’与‘天优华占’之间。此外,通过对微生物群落的功能组成预测可见,随水稻生长,‘MFB’与‘闽恢3301’的土壤细菌群落功能组成间差异存在增大的趋势。综上所述,本研究田间试验中,抗虫转基因水稻及其转基因杂交水稻在增产的同时提高了稻田土壤细菌或真菌群落的多样性,改变了主要细菌或真菌种类的相对丰度,但对细菌或真菌的群落及功能组成的影响不显著。

云南曲靖和蒙自万寿菊主栽区有害生物调查与分析

近年来,我国万寿菊单一种植规模不断扩大,有害生物的发生越发严重,影响万寿菊产量与品质,造成较大的经济损失。关于万寿菊有害生物调查,前人报道多集中于吉林、海南、黑龙江、贵州、甘肃、山西等地,对云南万寿菊主产区的有害生物缺乏系统调查。因此,本次研究在全国最大的万寿菊种植区和近两年来万寿菊叶黄素含量最高的种植区,即曲靖市沾益区和蒙自市冷泉镇进行有害生物系统调查,发现曲靖地区万寿菊主要病害有褐斑病和枯萎病;主要害虫包括美洲斑潜蝇、斜纹夜蛾、棉铃虫等10种;主要杂草有粗毛牛膝菊、鬼针草、马唐、千针苋等19种。蒙自地区万寿菊主要病害有褐斑病和炭疽病;主要害虫包括美洲斑潜蝇、四斑长跗萤叶甲、棉铃虫等9种;主要杂草有粗毛牛膝菊、马唐、尼泊尔蓼、细柄野荞麦等13种。

非编码RNA调控真社会性昆虫品级分化和个体分工的研究进展

真社会性昆虫是最具代表性的表型可塑性的研究对象之一,其个体之间分工协作的社会性生活方式增强了整个群体的环境适应性和繁殖力。真社会性昆虫虽然具有相同的遗传背景,个体之间却表现出明显的品级分化和个体分工,这是由环境和遗传共同影响的。表观遗传被认为是应对环境条件下重塑基因表达的主要机制,非编码RNA作为一类广泛参与机体生命活动的不编码蛋白的功能性RNA,在真社会性昆虫的品级分化、个体分工等方面起着重要的调控作用。本文从微小RNA、长链非编码RNA、环状RNA、与PIWI蛋白相作用的RNA等非编码RNA,对蜜蜂、蚂蚁及白蚁等真社会性昆虫的非编码RNA调控机制研究进展进行了综述,以加深对真社会性昆虫内在遗传分子基础的理解和认识,也为害虫防治领域提供新的研发视角。