DOCSLIB.ORG

Possible Roles of Juvenile Hormone and Juvenile

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Possible Roles of Juvenile Hormone and Juvenile Physiological Entomology (2013) 38, 183–191 DOI: 10.1111/phen.12010 Possible roles of Juvenile Hormone and Juvenile Hormone binding protein on changes in the integument during termination of larval diapause in the bamboo borer Omphisa fuscidentalis EAKARTIT RITDACHYENG1, MANAPORN MANABOON1, STEPHEN S. TOBE2 andTIPPAWAN SINGTRIPOP1 1Department of Biology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand and 2Department of Cell and System Biology, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Abstract. To understand the role of Juvenile Hormone (JH) on changes in the integument of Omphisa fuscidentalis Hampson (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) during larval–pupal development, the expression patterns of transcripts of the O. fuscidentalis JH binding protein gene (OfJHBP) are determined in the integument of diapausing larvae. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) studies show that the relative levels OfJHBP mRNA in the integument do not differ significantly in different segments of the body. Application of the JH analogue (JHA) methoprene to diapausing larvae results in a relatively low expression of OfJHBP mRNA from days 0 to 8 after JHA application and reaches maximal levels in the pupal stage. Changes in OfJHBP expression after 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) injection also show low levels of OfJHBP mRNA from days 0 to 8 and show a peak of expression in the pupal stage. Incubation of the integument in vitro in the presence of JHA (3.22 μm) induces high levels of OfJHBP expression within 120 min, whereas incubation with 20E (2.08 μm) induces gene expression at 150 min. To study the cooperative effect on OfJHBP expression of these two hormones, dose–response experiments are performed. Larval integument is maintained in the presence of 0.32 μm JHA or 2.08 μm 20E or a combination of both hormones in vitro for 120 min. Induction of OfJHBP expression by JHA and 20E in combination is significantly higher than that of either hormone alone. The results impact not only on our understanding of how methoprene (and hence JH) terminates larval diapause through an increase in ecdysteroid titre in the haemolymph, but also on how JH acts directly on the integument to stimulate the expression of a JH binding protein gene. Key words. 20-hydroxyecdysone, bamboo borer, integument, Juvenile Hormone analogue, Juvenile Hormone binding protein, methoprene. Introduction the expression of genes related to reproductive maturation (Gilbert et al., 2000). Juvenile Hormone (JH) is essential for insect development Diapause is a form of developmental arrest in insects that and reproduction (Riddiford, 1985). In the larval stages, JH is similar to hibernation in higher animals. It enables insects suppresses the genes responsible for larval metamorphosis, and related arthropods to circumvent adverse seasons. Winter is whereas, in the adults of many insect species, it stimulates most commonly avoided in temperate zones, although diapause is also used to avoid hot, dry summers and periods of food Correspondence: Tippawan Singtripop, Department of Biology, shortage in the tropics (Denlinger, 1981, 1985). Diapause in Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand. Tel.: +66 53 larval stages, as in the south-western corn borer Diatraea 943346; e-mail: [email protected] grandiosella, is induced by a high haemolymph titre of JH © 2013 The Royal Entomological Society 183 184 E. Ritdachyeng et al. that is maintained throughout diapause (Yin & Chippendale, mainly in the fat body, which is the primary site of JHBP 1973). The high JH titre prevents the brain from releasing synthesis. Interestingly, a modest level of OfJHBP expression prothoracicotropic hormone, resulting in the failure of the is detected in the integument. From these observations, it is prothoracic gland to synthesize ecdysteroids. hypothesized that the integument is one of the target tissues In Northern Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, larvae of the for JH in O. fuscidentalis. Knowledge of the expression pat- bamboo borer Omphisa fuscidentalis Hampson (Lepidoptera: tern of OfJHBP in the integument may not only provide an Pyralidae) experience a severe annual dry season. In Chiang understanding of how JH regulates metamorphosis in O. fus- Mai Province, Northern Thailand, adults appear in August, cidentalis, but also aid in unravelling the molecular action of and lay egg clusters on new bamboo shoots. After completing JH in the termination of larval diapause. larval growth in September, the larvae enter diapause and In the present study, the expression pattern of OfJHBP remain inside the internode of bamboo culm for 9 months until transcripts in integument from different segments of the body, they pupate during the subsequent June (Singtripop et al., as well as after hormonal induction, is examined both in vivo 1999). Application of the JH analogue (JHA) methoprene and in vitro. to diapausing larvae induces pupation, which results in an increase in the secretory activity of prothoracic gland in vitro, followed by an increase in ecdysteroid titre starting Materials and methods on day 12 after JHA application (Singtripop et al., 2000). These results show that JHA and hence JH might be involved Animals in the termination of larval diapause in O. fuscidentalis,in contrast to previous findings showing that JH inhibits the Larvae of O. fuscidentalis were collected from bamboo brain–prothoracic gland axis and thus maintains the larval forests in Amphur Maewang, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, diapause (Denlinger, 1985). and kept in containers (12 × 14 × 8 cm) lined with sheets of ◦ After topical treatment of diapausing larvae with 1 μgof paper towel. The containers were maintained at 25 C under JHA, the larvae turn brown and develop a hard and pigmented continuous darkness (Singtripop et al., 1999). cuticle. Treatment of diapausing larvae with a lower amount of JHA (0.1 μg) yields larvae that become inactive before formation of the brown cuticle. The body colour then changes Hormones and analogues from creamy to light yellow and these larvae are designated as G1. The next day, the dorsal epidermis becomes light The JHA (S -methoprene; SDS Biotech, Japan) was dis- brown (designated G2) as a result of the deposition of solved in acetone at a concentration of 5 mg mL−1 and stored ◦ a pigmented pupal cuticle beneath the old larval cuticle. at −35 C as a stock solution. The stock solution was diluted to Approximately 1 day later, the entire body becomes brown 1.0 μgper5μL with acetone, and a 5-μL aliquot was applied (G3). The body colour turns darker and the integument topically to the dorsal surface of individual larvae. Control hardens a further 2 days after G2, and this stage is designated larvae received acetone alone. After JHA treatment, the lar- G4. Approximately 3 days after deposition of the pupal cuticle vae (designated as G0) became motionless and their integu- (G2), pupae enter stage G5. None of the G5 larvae shed the ment turned brown and formed a hard, pigmented cuticle. old cuticle. If the old cuticle is removed with forceps, the The physiological age of these larvae was divided into six treated insects are found to possess evaginated appendages, stages, as described above, from G0 to G5, based on body such as antennae, compound eyes and mandibles. They also colour and deposition of the pigmented pupal cuticle (Fig. 1) have forewings covered with a tanned cuticle, hind wings with (Singtripop et al., 2000). 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E; Sigma, St almost no tanned cuticle, and legs with a tanned cuticle. The Louis, Missouri) was dissolved in ethanol at a concentration ◦ larval prolegs with crochets disappear. These morphological of 1 mg mL−1 and stored at −35 C until use. The stock solu- characteristics indicate that the animals with tanned cuticles tion was diluted with distilled water, and diapausing larvae are complete pupae (Singtripop et al., 2000). were injected with a 5-μL aliquot through the second pro- Hidayat & Goodman (1994) report that, in a lepidopteran, leg (Singtripop et al., 2002). Control larvae received distilled over 99.9% of JH in the haemolymph is bound to JH binding water alone. The amounts of JHA and 20E applied were based protein (JHBP). They suggest further that interaction of the on Singtripop et al. (2000). JH–JHBP complex with target cell membranes may be the route by which JH reaches the cytoplasm. Moreover, JHBP is found in cytosol of larval and pupal epidermis of Galleria RNA isolation and cDNA synthesis mellonella (Wisniewski´ et al., 1988) and a JHBP with receptor properties has been detected in the epidermis of the Dipteran Total RNA was isolated from the integument of the second Drosophila hydei (Klages et al., 1980, 1981). dorsal abdominal segments using RiboZol RNA Extraction Ritdachyeng et al. (2012) report the characterization and reagent (Amresco, Solon, Ohio) in accordance with the cloning of the gene encoding JHBP from O. fuscidentalis manufacturers instructions. Before cDNA synthesis, the RNA (OfJHBP, GenBank accession number JQ658990). The expres- was treated with RNase-free DNaseI (Fermentas, Lithuania) sion patterns of OfJHBP in various tissues reveal the target to eliminate contaminating genomic DNA. An aliquot of organs of JH. The results show that the OfJHBP is expressed 200 ng of total RNA was used to generate first-strand cDNA © 2013 The Royal Entomological Society, Physiological Entomology, 38, 183–191 Roles of JH and JHBP on changes in the integument 185 GAC AGA GAG GCG-3) and reverse primer (5-CTC ACA CGT TAT AGT CTC AGG-3) and, for endogenous control, OfRpL3 (O. fuscidentalis ribosomal protein L3, accession number EF453378), forward primer (5-TCT ACC CCA AGA AGA GGT CTC G-3) and reverse primer (5-ACG ACA GTC CTC AGA CAT GTG C-3). These primers were based on the respective sequences of the cloned full- length OfJHBP and OfRpL3 (Ritdachyeng et al., 2012). The THUNDERBIRD SYBR qPCR Mix (Toyobo, Japan) was used to perform qRT-PCR in an iCycler iQ5 Real-time PCR Detection System (Bio-Rad, Hercules, California).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Wild-Harvested Edible Insects
    28 Six-legged livestock: edible insect farming, collecting and marketing in Thailand Collecting techniques Wild-harvested edible insects Bamboo caterpillars are mainly collected in the north of Thailand. Apart from farmed edible insects like Bamboo caterpillars were tradi onally crickets and palm weevil larvae, other collected by cutting down entire edible insect species such as silkworm bamboo clumps to harvest the pupae, grasshoppers, weaver ants and caterpillars. This approach was bamboo caterpillars are also popular destruc ve and some mes wasteful food items and can be found in every of bamboo material. More recently a market. less invasive collec on method has been tried. Sustainable collec on Grasshoppers, weaver ants, giant without cutting bamboo trees is water bugs and bamboo caterpillars starting to be practised by local are the most popular wild edible people. Mr.Piyachart, a collector of insects consumed. Grasshoppers are bamboo caterpillars from the wild, collected in the wild, but mainly was interviewed in Chiang Rai Province imported from Cambodia; weaver to learn about his sustainable ants and bamboo caterpillars are collecting method. The adult harvested in the wild seasonally. caterpillar exits, a er pupa emergence, from a hole at the base of the bamboo stem. The fi rst or second internode is Bamboo caterpillar examined to reveal the damage (Omphisa fuscidenƩ alis caused by the bamboo caterpillar and Hampson, Family its loca on. The denseness of an Pyralidae) internode is a clue to indicate the presence of bamboo caterpillars. The Known in Thai as rod fai duan or ‘the harves ng of bamboo caterpillars is express train’ the larvae live inside conducted by slicing the specifi c bamboo plants for around ten months.
    [Show full text]
  • Larval Diapause Termination in the Bamboo Borer, Omphisa Fuscidentalis
    RESEARCH ARTICLE Larval diapause termination in the bamboo borer, Omphisa fuscidentalis Suphawan Suang1, Manaporn Manaboon1*, Tippawan Singtripop1, Kiyoshi Hiruma2, Yu Kaneko2, Pimonrat Tiansawat3, Peter Neumann3,4,5, Panuwan Chantawannakul1,3* 1 Endocrinology Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2 Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan, 3 Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 4 Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, 5 Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland a1111111111 * [email protected] (PC); [email protected] (MM) a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 Abstract a1111111111 In insects, juvenile hormone (JH) and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) regulate larval growth and molting. However, little is known about how this cooperative control is terminating larval dia- pause especially in the bamboo borer, Omphisa fuscidentalis. In both in vivo and in vitro OPEN ACCESS experiments, we here measured the expression levels of genes which were affected by Citation: Suang S, Manaboon M, Singtripop T, juvenile hormone analogue (JHA: S-methoprene) and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) in dia- Hiruma K, Kaneko Y, Tiansawat P, et al. (2017) pausing O. fuscidentalis larvae. Corresponding mRNA expression changes in the subeso- Larval diapause termination in the bamboo borer, phageal ganglion (SG) and prothoracic gland (PG) were evaluated using qRT-PCR. The Omphisa fuscidentalis. PLoS ONE 12(4): data showed similar response patterns of JH receptor gene (OfMet), diapause hormone e0174919. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0174919 gene (OfDH-PBAN), ecdysone receptor genes (OfEcR-A and OfEcR-B1) and ecdysone inducible genes (OfBr-C, OfE75A, OfE75B, OfE75C and OfHR3).
    [Show full text]
  • 4. Edible Insects As a Natural Resource
    45 4. Edible insects as a natural resource 4.1 EDiblE INSECT EColoGY The edible insect resource is primarily a category of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) collected from natural resources (Boulidam, 2010). Edible insects inhabit a large variety of habitats, such as aquatic ecosystems, forests and agricultural fields. On a smaller scale, edible insects may feed on the foliage of vegetation (e.g. caterpillars) or roots (e.g. witchetty grubs), live on the branches and trunks of trees (e.g. cicadas) or thrive in soils (e.g. dung beetles). Insect ecology can be defined as the interaction of individual insects and insect communities with the surrounding environment. This involves processes such as nutrient cycling, pollination and migration, as well as population dynamics and climate change. Although more than half of all known living organisms are insects, knowledge of insect ecology is limited. Some species that have long been considered valuable for their products – such as honeybees, silkworms and cochineal insects – are well known, while knowledge of many others remains scarce. This chapter points out the need to study edible insect ecology specifically and shows how this knowledge can be applied. 4.2 Collecting from the wild: potential threats and solutions 4.2.1 Threats Insects provide essential ecosystem services such as pollination, composting, wildfire protection and pest control (Losey and Vaughan, 2006) (see Chapter 2). Edible insects, such as honeybees, dung beetles and weaver ants, eaten extensively in the tropics, perform many of these ecological services. Until recently, edible insects were a seemingly inexhaustible resource (Schabel, 2006). Yet like most natural resources, some edible insect species are in peril.
    [Show full text]
  • Traditional Knowledge of the Utilization of Edible Insects in Nagaland, North-East India
    foods Article Traditional Knowledge of the Utilization of Edible Insects in Nagaland, North-East India Lobeno Mozhui 1,*, L.N. Kakati 1, Patricia Kiewhuo 1 and Sapu Changkija 2 1 Department of Zoology, Nagaland University, Lumami, Nagaland 798627, India; [email protected] (L.N.K.); [email protected] (P.K.) 2 Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Nagaland University, Medziphema, Nagaland 797106, India; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 2 June 2020; Accepted: 19 June 2020; Published: 30 June 2020 Abstract: Located at the north-eastern part of India, Nagaland is a relatively unexplored area having had only few studies on the faunal diversity, especially concerning insects. Although the practice of entomophagy is widespread in the region, a detailed account regarding the utilization of edible insects is still lacking. The present study documents the existing knowledge of entomophagy in the region, emphasizing the currently most consumed insects in view of their marketing potential as possible future food items. Assessment was done with the help of semi-structured questionnaires, which mentioned a total of 106 insect species representing 32 families and 9 orders that were considered as health foods by the local ethnic groups. While most of the edible insects are consumed boiled, cooked, fried, roasted/toasted, some insects such as Cossus sp., larvae and pupae of ants, bees, wasps, and hornets as well as honey, bee comb, bee wax are consumed raw. Certain edible insects are either fully domesticated (e.g., Antheraea assamensis, Apis cerana indica, and Samia cynthia ricini) or semi-domesticated in their natural habitat (e.g., Vespa mandarinia, Vespa soror, Vespa tropica tropica, and Vespula orbata), and the potential of commercialization of these insects and some other species as a bio-resource in Nagaland exists.
    [Show full text]
  • Edible Insects
    1.04cm spine for 208pg on 90g eco paper ISSN 0258-6150 FAO 171 FORESTRY 171 PAPER FAO FORESTRY PAPER 171 Edible insects Edible insects Future prospects for food and feed security Future prospects for food and feed security Edible insects have always been a part of human diets, but in some societies there remains a degree of disdain Edible insects: future prospects for food and feed security and disgust for their consumption. Although the majority of consumed insects are gathered in forest habitats, mass-rearing systems are being developed in many countries. Insects offer a significant opportunity to merge traditional knowledge and modern science to improve human food security worldwide. This publication describes the contribution of insects to food security and examines future prospects for raising insects at a commercial scale to improve food and feed production, diversify diets, and support livelihoods in both developing and developed countries. It shows the many traditional and potential new uses of insects for direct human consumption and the opportunities for and constraints to farming them for food and feed. It examines the body of research on issues such as insect nutrition and food safety, the use of insects as animal feed, and the processing and preservation of insects and their products. It highlights the need to develop a regulatory framework to govern the use of insects for food security. And it presents case studies and examples from around the world. Edible insects are a promising alternative to the conventional production of meat, either for direct human consumption or for indirect use as feedstock.
    [Show full text]
  • Irnur Urnr' Ratna Thapa
    Bamboo Caterpillars: An Alternative Income Generation Resource and Conservation of Bamboo Forests in Northem Parts of Thailand irnur urnr' Ratna Thapa 1 Dr.School of Science, lvae Fah Luang ufrvefs ry Ch arg Ra 1l vtFto €to uuautdol#1ti Om phisa fuscidentalis vSo "vuou:nricu" lfl ud'.rrjoulo{fi 16onnrrfi uord'roq|lufiulri s rrlri'urf lduri ldun (Dendrocalamus hamiltoii) 1l'lr': (D. strictus) ttny _ i_ T.rysastachys sramensrs trrleliurir n'lr- r:d lrlryur nr:n n oi'r uQun{ nr LE r ruilrl r.i unyuuourdotfit rl ufl umel fi u n-n riornrjrr r Fvruflun mnr n u.rflo orouriu nr ai{s nilfilflunre rirfl ro rr ryrnlulaEnrrrde.i unyrfl r dlrnnnrern3ry rfi llnto.r 4,,^,., , , -- .! , 1,4UOUrflO tll t r.r 11' rrn rnvntn:nnt.lfl10l u0 yro!lJufioflFr.1[tdy nofl[ri6no{ iruru 206 nru ngn'rucu 't I nru unyu4rr,lrirfr rirrin { ru rnum rn r{{rafo rfi s{ rr Er q'rucu z nu r n fi 16'q r n nrriA'r vril#iorny 60 ro{ rngrrrn rfierat fil rnn"ir s,ooo rrlr iornv az fir'rctdleyilrru 10,000 rrr uny5orny 3 fi a'aldrrnn,ir 50,000 r..L rvrrioilunr rrrgyuor. rdoli^t r.i zun yoofl n t;yr! cl nln r.: n r evir'hl un:gm r n a! uno rJ E.i [r6 [rri6 a o.1 ,,!*", ! d y t uollolruo IrJ unyL yrtl'l Ll.Jtq'ru[n1l !F]t9llJyrl'rfl onyl{rnBntnt runor urinnorl qndulil rfi l.fru,:u 300,000 6'u rfi e rdsr uuou?n Fieuai'r.rr1fl 1d + ) us lor un ryr t.ltJl.ruoL ril ohil r orr lfluq rU [s6i'r,i'rul ryn r t .dq ufrr'Lr;nr:rlcrorl5nr{:lr1f1ri un:rrr[r1fl ryytFrx'rrrt,rnqulu rlayrvrotvrul6 drzirfi'rp: vuourdohi'h.i rrnilulndnrrrnryrdc.: nr:aufnfilrti.j fi I rsa-rsrllsbr.r | 11 (t7i nlt!mwr1Frel fl1nsu Abstract Bamboo caterpillars, Omphisa fuscidentalis, are found in culms of three species of bamboo; Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, D.
    [Show full text]
  • Farming Insects for Food in Thailand :Yupa Hanboonsong
    Farming insects for food in Thailand :Yupa Hanboonsong Entomology Division Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Thailand Who eats insects? Entomophagy = The art and culture of eating insects, a tradition at least 4000 years old At least 115 nations eat insects in all continents (except Antarctica) Europe USA & Canada Mexico Africa mopane worm China Japan http://tonymcnicol.com/2008/10/31/creepy-crawly-cuisine/ Thailand What kind of insects are eaten? Approximately 1,681 species of insects in at least 14 Orders are eaten around the world (Ramos –Elorduy, 2005) other species 39 30 20 92 344 209 235 313 Species of edible insects in the world Modified from: Ramos-Elorduy (1998) Why should we eats insects? Tasty - Excellent quality food with proteins and micronutrients - Gram for Gram… cricket can be more nutritious than an equal quantity of beef or pork Nutritional value of some insects compared to chicken (100 g) Cricket Palm weevil Chicken Energy 121.5 561 138.5 (kcal) Protein (g) 12.9 6.69 15.24 Lipid (g) 24.32 no data 4.14 Iron (mg) no data 13.1 1.33 Thiamine no data 3.02 0.06 (mg) Riboflavin no data 2.24 0.37 (mg) Niacin (mg) no data 7.78 5.03 The same amount of proteins Cricket 100 g. 1 chicken egg The same amount of calories Grasshopper 1 kg. Bread and sausage When can we find insects? Different edible species are available all year December January February November October March 1 year September April August May June July Where to find insects? Insects can be cultured or collected -Insect farming -Wild harvesting Collecting Bamboo
    [Show full text]
  • Edible Insects from Hlegu and Taikkyi Townships, Yangon Region
    EDIBLE INSECTS FROM HLEGU AND TAIKKYI TOWNSHIPS, YANGON REGION PhD (DISSERTATION) NI NI KHIN DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF YANGON MYANMAR AUGUST, 2016 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Dr Thida Lay Thwe, Head/Department of Zoology, University of Yangon for her kindness and understanding throughout the study period. I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Dr Su Su, Department of Zoology, University of Yangon for her permitting me to carry out this research. I would like to thank my supervisor Pro Rector Dr Myin Zu Minn, University of Yadanarbon, for her keen interest and continuous support throughout the research period. I am very grateful to my co-supervisor Dr Nyo Nyo Lwin, Associated professor, Department of Zoology, University of Magywe, for giving me the concepts of research from the beginning to the end. I am also indebted to late Professor Dr Maung Maung Gyi, retired Head of Zoology Department, University of Yangon, for his kind permission to carry out this work with the chosen topic. I also would like to thank my family for the financial and moral support. i ABSTRACT A total of 17 species from seven order and 11 families were recorded with different population abundance and different seasonal occurrence of edible insects species during the study period. The study sites were conducted in Hlegu and Taikkyi townships in Yangon Region. Study period lasted from June 2012 to May 2016. Insects were collected from the bare ground, bushes, muddy soil, paddy fields, trees, natural ponds, channels and streams. Heliocopris bucephalus, Apis florea, Oecophylla smaragdina and Macrotermes darwiniensis were collected in dry season.
    [Show full text]
  • Insects in the Human Food Chain: Global Status and Opportunities
    See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/264277224 Insects in the human food chain: global status and opportunities ARTICLE · JULY 2014 DOI: 10.3362/2046-1887.2014.011 4 AUTHORS, INCLUDING: Afton Halloran University of Copenhagen 13 PUBLICATIONS 40 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Arnold Van Huis Wageningen University 194 PUBLICATIONS 1,493 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Available from: Paul Vantomme Retrieved on: 30 August 2015 Insects in the human food chain: global status and opportunities AFTON HALLORAN, CHRISTOPHER MUENKE, PAUL VANTOMME and ARNOLD VAN HUIS Insects are part of the traditional diets of approximately 2 billion people worldwide. Insects can contribute to food security and be a part of the solution to protein shortages, given their high nutritional value, low emissions of greenhouse gases, low requirements for land and water, and the high efficiency at which they can convert feed into food. This article outlines the potential of insects as a food for humans as well as a feedstock for animals and fish. The majority of insects consumed in developing countries today are harvested in nature from wild populations. In Western countries, the disgust factor in considering insects as food, combined currently with their limited availability on the market, and a lack of regulations governing insects as food and feed, are major barriers for their further expansion. However, the biggest opportunity may well lie in the production of insect biomass as feedstock for animals and fish, to partly replace the increasingly expensive protein ingredients of compound feeds in the livestock industries. Considering the immense quantities of insect biomass needed to replace current protein-rich ingredients such as meal from fish and soybeans, automated mass rearing facilities need to be developed.
    [Show full text]
  • Edible Forests Insect
    Forest insects as food: humans bite back / Proceedings of a workshop on Asia-Pacific resources and their potential for development RAP PUBLICATION 2010/02 Forest insects as food: humans bite back Proceedings of a workshop on Asia-Pacific resources and their potential for development 19-21 February 2008, Chiang Mai, Thailand Edited by Patrick B. Durst, Dennis V. Johnson, Robin N. Leslie and Kenichi Shono FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Bangkok, Thailand 2010 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. ISBN 978-92-5-106488-7 All rights reserved. FAO encourages reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Non-commercial users will be authorized free of charge. Repro- duction for resale or other commercial purposes, including educational purposes, may incur fees. Applications for permission to reproduce or disseminate FAO copyright materials and all other queries on rights and licenses, should be addressed by e-mail to [email protected] or to the Chief, Publishing Policy and Support Branch, Office of Knowledge, Exchange, Research and Extension, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy. © FAO 2010 Cover design: Chanida Chavanich For copies of the report, write to: Patrick B. Durst Senior Forestry Officer FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 39 Phra Atit Road Bangkok 10200 Thailand Tel: (66-2) 697 4000 Fax: (66-2) 697 4445 E-mail: [email protected] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Bangkok, Thailand ii Foreword In this fast-paced modern world, it is sometimes easy to lose sight of valuable traditional knowledge and practices.
    [Show full text]
  • Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security and Disgust for Their Consumption
    1.04cm spine for 208pg on 90g eco paper ISSN 0258-6150 FAO 171 FORESTRY 171 PAPER FAO FORESTRY PAPER 171 Edible insects Edible insects Future prospects for food and feed security Future prospects for food and feed security Edible insects have always been a part of human diets, but in some societies there remains a degree of disdain Edible insects: future prospects for food and feed security and disgust for their consumption. Although the majority of consumed insects are gathered in forest habitats, mass-rearing systems are being developed in many countries. Insects offer a significant opportunity to merge traditional knowledge and modern science to improve human food security worldwide. This publication describes the contribution of insects to food security and examines future prospects for raising insects at a commercial scale to improve food and feed production, diversify diets, and support livelihoods in both developing and developed countries. It shows the many traditional and potential new uses of insects for direct human consumption and the opportunities for and constraints to farming them for food and feed. It examines the body of research on issues such as insect nutrition and food safety, the use of insects as animal feed, and the processing and preservation of insects and their products. It highlights the need to develop a regulatory framework to govern the use of insects for food security. And it presents case studies and examples from around the world. Edible insects are a promising alternative to the conventional production of meat, either for direct human consumption or for indirect use as feedstock.
    [Show full text]
  • Edible Insect Species Identified Providing Definitive Figures on the Number of Edible Insect Species Worldwide Is Difficult for Several Reasons
    5 2. The role of insects 2.1 BENEfiCIAL rolE of INSECTS for NATurE AND HumANS Over the past 400 million years, evolution has produced a wide variety of arthropod species adapted to their environments. About 1 million of the 1.4 million described animal species on earth are insects, and millions more are believed to exist. Contrary to popular belief, of the 1 million described insect species, only 5 000 can be considered harmful to crops, livestock or human beings (Van Lenteren, 2006). 2.1.1 Benefits for nature Insects deliver a host of ecological services fundamental to the survival of humankind. For instance, insects play an important role in plant reproduction. An estimated 100 000 pollinator species have been identified and almost all of these (98 percent) are insects (Ingram, Nabhan and Buchmann, 1996). Over 90 percent of the 250 000 flowering plant species depend on pollinators. This is also true for three-quarters of the 100 crop species that generate most of the world’s food (Ingram, Nabhan and Buchmann, 1996). Domesticated bees alone pollinate an estimated 15 percent of these species. The importance of this ecological service for agriculture and nature more generally is undisputed. Insects play an equally vital role in waste biodegradation. Beetle larvae, flies, ants and termites clean up dead plant matter, breaking down organic matter until it is fit to be consumed by fungi and bacteria. In this way, the minerals and nutrients of dead organisms become readily available in the soil for uptake by plants. Animal carcasses, for example, are consumed by fly maggots and beetle larvae.
    [Show full text]