Use of Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) powder to enhance artificial diet formulations for Coleomegilla maculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Abstract

The predatory lady beetle Coleomegilla maculata has potential to control several arthropod pests on crop plants in greenhouses and high tunnels. However, an effective artificial diet is needed in order to mass produce C. maculata in sufficient quantities for augmentative releases. The objectives of this study were to develop a semi-solid insectfree artificial diet, evaluate the diet effects on C. maculata fitness, and determine if adding extracts (consisting of dry powder of whole pupae) of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, could improve the suitability of the diet formulations and the life parameters of C. maculata. Although C. maculata completed development and reproduced on two meridic artificial diet formulations (M1 and M2), neither one was as effective as a control diet mix consisting of Ephestia kuehniella, Artemia sp. Eggs, and bee pollen. Incorporation of T. molitor extracts into the diet formulation (5 and 7% in diets T1 and T2, respectively), significantly improved C. maculata larval survival, shortened post-embryonic development time, increased fecundity and egg viability as compared to the meridic diet formulations. Adults feeding on diets T1 and T2 (containing T. molitor extracts) produced more eggs and had a better survival than those feeding on the control diet mix. Also, egg viability was significantly higher in diets T1 and T2 than in the control. Demographic parameters showed that the overall fitness of C. maculata fed the meridic diet containing T. molitor extracts was superior to beetles fed the control mix. The role of feeding stimulation by T. molitor added components as responsible for the diet improvement is discussed.

Temperature-Dependent Biological and Demographic Parameters of Coleomegilla maculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

“…Adults were maintained in a two-section modular cage as described by Rojas et al (2016) . This design provides an upper space for feeding and a lower space for oviposition.…”

“…This design provides an upper space for feeding and a lower space for oviposition. Adult beetles were fed with a combination of food sources including Entofood (Koppert Biological Systems Inc., Howell, MI), ground bee pollen granules (product 2530, NOW Foods, Bloomingdale, IL), Lygus hesperus (Knight) (Heteroptera: Miridae) eggs, ground lyophilized T. molitor pupae, honey, and meridic artificial diet M1 Rojas et al (2016) . Water was provided by saturated water crystals of cross-linked potassium polyacrylate and polyacrylamide copolymer (T-400, Terawet Inc., San Diego, CA) placed in screened devices on the cover of the cage.…”

“…Egg clusters were cut from the paper sheets daily and deposited in Petri dishes for development. First instars were transferred to cages constructed from square hinged plastic boxes (334 × 233 × 50 mm) (product 700C, Pioneer Plastics Inc., North Dixon, KY) and modified as described by Rojas et al (2016) . Cages were filled with 24 crumpled tissue sheets of Kimwipes (Kimberly-Clark LLC) paper to provide shelter space and increase surface area.…”

“…Methods to rear this beetle are still primitive and require a great deal of manual labor, particularly if natural prey is used as food. Recent studies on methods to rear C. maculata , including factitious food ( Michaud and Grant 2005 ; Riddick et al 2014b , c ; Riddick and Wu 2015 ) and artificial diets ( Rojas et al 2016 ) have been done. However, standard mass production techniques have not been established and commercial production in the United States has been inconsistent.…”

Do Bioflavonoids inJuniperus virginianaHeartwood Stimulate Oviposition in the LadybirdColeomegilla maculata?

“…One of the challenges to mass produce ladybirds and other predators at low cost is the identification of inexpensive alternative foods, ie, artificial diets or factitious prey. [12][13][14] Unfortunately, alternative foods often lack specific compounds that stimulate feeding; these stimulants are often found in natural prey. Oftentimes, oviposition is stimulated by the availability of natural (essential) prey, in abundance and of high quality.…”