Performance of Newly Described Native Edible CricketScapsipedus icipe(Orthoptera: Gryllidae) on Various Diets of Relevance for Farming

Abstract

A new native edible cricket species, Scapsipedus icipe Hugel and Tanga, has been described in Kenya for the first time. However, there is lack of information on suitable diets and their effects on the developmental time, survival, weight gain, body length, growth index, preoviposition, oviposition, postoviposition, fecundity, egg eclosion period, adult emergence, and longevity of this species, which are prerequisite for large-scale production. In this study, six diets (wheat bran, soybean, fish offal, pumpkin leaf, carrot, and maize meals) selected to vary in protein, carbohydrate, and fat content were evaluated. The developmental time and survival rate of the different life stages varied considerably on the various diets, with the shortest development and highest survival rate recorded when fed wheat bran diet. Preoviposition duration was significantly longer on maize and carrot diets (>10 d) compared with that recorded on the other diets (<8 d). Body weight and body length were significantly influenced by t different diets tested. Females of S. icipe fed on proteinrich diets (fish offal, soybean, and wheat bran) had significantly higher lifetime fecundity and fertility. Female-biased sex ratio was recorded on wheat bran and soybean diets, whereas male-biased sex ratio was recorded on maize and carrot diets. Our findings reveal that the impact of diet quality on the biological fitness parameters of S. icipe and the implication of the results are discussed in light of effective mass rearing of this species.

Integrating temperature-dependent life table data into Insect Life Cycle Model for predicting the potential distribution of Scapsipedus icipe Hugel & Tanga

“…icipe was initiated from wild populations [425 nymphs and 366 adult insects (248 females and 118 males)] trapped from the grassland fields in Coast, Central and Western of Kenya during a country-wide survey conducted in 2016. The wild field populations were reared according to the methods described by Magara et al [9]. Adult crickets and nymphs were fed on formulated diets, which consisted of a mixture of different feedstocks (cornmeal, wheat bran, pumpkin leaves meal, fish offal meal and soybean waste meal) and maintained at 30°C; 80±5% relative humidity and photoperiod of L12:D12, following the protocol described by Melisa [31] with slight modifications.…”

“…These include Acheta domesticus Linnaeus, Gryllus bimaculatus De Geer and Gryllus texensis [3, 5–7]. Furthermore, a newly described indigenous cricket Scapsipedus icipe Hugel and Tanga was recently reported as one of the most promising species for use as food and feed in the continent [8–9]. In Kenya, S .…”

“…Considering the prospects of S . icipe in addressing food security, nutrition and employment in the region [9], it is crucial to carry out comprehensive studies to understand the influence of different temperature regimes on the bionomics of S . icipe , which is a prerequisite for mass production and quality control programs, if the optimal conditions are known.…”

“…icipe , an important, abundant, and often ignored component of biodiversity. The strong performance of the model for hotspot prediction emphasizes the importance of including new species’ natural history information [9] for conservation decision-making, which could be easily adaptable to other insect species [30]. The climate change impacts on S .…”

Edible crickets, but which species?

“…In Kenya B. membranaceus is popular and traditionally consumed, but difficult to rear. In this country a new native edible cricket species, Scapsipedus icipe, has been described for the first time and has been suggested for mass rearing (Magara et al, 2019).…”