Effects of Dietary Straw Content on Growth and Development of Locusta migratoria and Its Egg Hatching

[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary straw content on the growth and development of oriental migratory locusts(Locusta migratoria),as well as the effects of temperature and substrate on their egg hatching.[Methods]The eggs of oriental migratory locusts were hatched at 15,20,25,30,35,and 40℃in sawdust,soil and sawdust+soil conditions,respectively,to determine suitable environmental conditions for artificial hatching of oriental migratory locusts.Rice straw was added at 0%,20%,40%,60%,80%and 100%to the basic diet,and the obtained diets was feed to oriental migratory locusts at the 4^(th)instar,to investigate the effects on their growth and development.[Results]The eggs of oriental migratory locusts had a good hatching rate at 25-30℃,and sawdust was the best choice for their hatching substrate.Adding 40%of rice straw to the diet could ensure the normal growth and development of oriental migratory locusts while consuming as much rice straw as possible.[Conclusions]This study explored a technical solution for efficiently producing insect protein from discarded crop straw(treating waste with insects,and turning waste into treasure),providing support for breeding of oriental migratory locusts and locust disaster prevention.

Effects of a combined infection with Paranosema locustae and Beauveria bassiana on Locusta migratoria and its gut microflora

Even though Paranosema locustae is widely used in China as a biological agent for controlling grasshoppers,the mortality rate is initially quite low.This study sought to determine whether the simultaneous use of P.locustae and Beauveria bassiana would be a more effective control strategy.Additionally,changes in the intestinal microbial communities of migratory locusts infected with the two pathogens were analyzed to investigate the roles of gut microbes in pathogen-host interactions.The mortality rate of locusts inoculated with B.bassiana and P.locustae simultaneously was not significantly higher than expected but the mortality rates of locusts inoculated with B.bassiana 3,6,and 9 days after inoculation with P.locustae were significantly higher than if their effects were additive,indicating synergism.A MiSeq analysis found that Weissella was the most common bacterium,representing 41.48%and 51.62%of the total bacteria in the mid-and hindguts,respectively,and the bacterial declines were greatest during dual infections with B.bassiana and P.locustae.The appropriately timed combined application of P.locustae and B.bassiana was more effective against locusts than either treatment alone.Moreover,the combined inoculation of the two pathogens changed the gut microflora of locusts,indicating the potential relevancy of their synergistic effects on locust control.