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10-Minute Presentation

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

10-min: P-IE, Behavior and Chemical Ecology

Tenebrio molitor as a circular economy tool in agricultural side streams: from waste to food

Sunday, November 9, 2025
1:30 PM - 1:42 PM Pacific
Location: Oregon Convention Center, E145, OCC
Tenebrio molitor, the yellow mealworm, is a stored product insect species that infests durable agricultural commodities, especially amylaceous substrates. Nevertheless, the same species has been authorized in many parts of the word for food and feed, while its frass can be used as a fertilizer. During the last years, T. molitor has been thoroughly evaluated as a waste management agent, with a wide range of agricultural side-streams and byproducts, in order to use waste as an essential part of the diet of this species, that can further reduce the cost of insect farming. In this context, there are different series of laboratory, semi-field and field evaluations that underline the potential of some byproducts to strengthen mass rearing protocols for this species, and the effects of these byproducts to the composition of the larvae that are to be produced. The data show that there are some of these substances that can greatly benefit the development of T. molitor, as well as its progeny production capacity. Indicatively, substances with high protein, fiber, starch or carbohydrates are not necessarily the best choice for mass rearing protocols, and such an effort should be based in designing isonitrogenous and isoproteinic diets. Finally, the evaluation of these diets should be carried out in relation with the so-called Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), Feed Conversion Efficiency (ECI) and Specific Growth Rate (SGR), what take into account digestibility parameters, and the overall cost of the target diet.