Biotic Potential of a Short-Horned Grasshopper, Oxya hyla hyla Serville (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to Assess Its Biomass Producing Capacity

Abstract

The growth of fishery and animal husbandry is being hindered by the scarcity of protein rich feed ingredients. Being rich in protein grasshoppers may be an alternative source of protein rich feed ingredients and hence rearing of these insects is essential for sustainable supply of insect biomass to the feed industry. The success of biomass production through insect rearing depends on the reproductive potentiality, rate of survival and growth of that particular insect. This study examines the biotic potential, fecundity, fertility, nymph mortality, life span and biomass production ability of a multivoltine grasshopper, Oxya hyla hyla (Serville, 1931) under semicontrolled condition. The grasshoppers are reared in 35 ± 2°C temperature and 12L: 12D photoperiod and provided with food as fresh leaves of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. to nymphs and Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. to the adults. The result shows that a single pair of O. hyla hyla can lay on average 69.87 eggs in 4.96 ± 0.43 egg pods of which 7.37 ± 0.92 % eggs and 8.26 ± 0.99 % nymphs do not survive. The remaining survived nymphs metamorphose to 27.8 ± 3.35 male and 32.6 ± 3.21 female adults which produce a biomass of 18.48 ± 1.67 g wet weight. Thus a mass scale rearing of this insect may produce good amount of insect biomass which may be usable for fish and animal feed.

Recent advances in role of insects as alternative protein source in poultry nutrition

“…The FA analysis showed PUFAs of the GHM to be present in high quantities and the total content of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids was 0.8449 of total FAs. Ghosh et al (2016) found that all EAAs such as lys (4.29%), thr (3.75%), cys (3.5%), isoleu (2.85%), and leu (2.53%) were showed in good amount in short-horn GH while arg, tyr, hist, meth, tryp and val are detected in low amount. Among the estimated AAs, glu acid and glutamine were found in quite high content (30% of the DM of the insect) followed by serine (6% of DM).…”

“…Among the estimated AAs, glu acid and glutamine were found in quite high content (30% of the DM of the insect) followed by serine (6% of DM). Five FAs such as palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid were the major in GH and comprised about 89.6% of TFAs (Ghosh et al 2016). Among these FAs, content of linoleic acid (on DM basis) was found to be the highest (0.555%) followed by palmitic acid (0.503%), stearic acid (0.487%), oleic acid (0.470%) and linolenic acid (0.294%).…”

Insect meal as a feed ingredient for poultry

“…Cricket/Grasshopper/Locust (Orthoptera) meal (OTM) is a rich source of protein, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins [ 97 , 98 ]. The concentration of CP ranged from 48% to 65% and crude fat ranged from 3% to 21%.…”

Entomophagy in traditional healthcare practiced by indigenous communities: potential, implications and constraints

“…Antinutrients are phytochemicals that come from host plants the insects feed upon. Musundire et al [41] [71]. These contents were considered below toxic levels and therefore harmless to human health [70], [71].…”