흰점박이꽃무지 (Protaetia brevitarsis) 유충은 동아시아에서 식용 및 약용으로 널리 사용되고 있다. 흰점박이꽃무지 수요 증가로 인해 유충의 대량 사육 방법이 필요하지만 좁은 공간에서 대량으로 유충을 사육할 경우 곤충 병원성 질병 감염에 취약해진다. Metarhizium anisopliae는 흰점박이꽃무지 유충에 치명적인 곤충 병원성 곰팡이 중 하나이다. 이를 저해하기 위해 항진균 성분이 함유된 옻나무 (Rhus verniciflua Stokes) 추출액을 첨가하였고, 연구 결과 1% 옻나무 추출액을 첨가한 경우 녹강균에 의한 유충의 치사율이 유의미하게 낮았다. 또한 일반톱밥을 급여한 대조구에 비해 옻나무 추출액 처리구에서 유충의 무게가 더 무거웠고 유충 기간이 짧아 지는 것을 확인하였다. 따라서 이 연구를 통해 곤충 병원성 곰팡이에 대한 옻나무 추출액의 항진균 효과를 확인할 수 있었으며 흰점박이꽃무지 유충 사육 시 옻나무 추출액을 첨가 하여 급여한다면 병원성 곰팡이에 의한 유충의 치사율을 낮추고 증체량을 높이는 데 효과가 있을 것이다.

Metarhizium anisopliae (녹강균)는 흰점박이꽃무지에게 질병을 일으키는 곤충 병원성 곰팡이 중 하나이다. 이러한 곰팡이의 병원성은 환경 조건에 의해 영향을 받는다. 녹강균에 대한 흰점박이꽃무지 유충의 민감성을 알기 위해 온도(20℃, 25℃, 30℃), 상대습도 (RH 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%), 톱밥 수분함량 (40%, 50%, 60%)이 다른 사육 조건에서 유충의 치사율을 확인하였다. 녹강균을 처리한 흰점박이꽃무지 유충의 치사율은 온도에 따라 차이가 나타나지 않았으나, 낮은 상대습도 (RH 40%)와 톱밥 수분함량 (40%)에서 유충의 치사율이 높았다. 녹강균에 대한 1령, 2령, 3령 유충의 치사율은 1령에서 가장 높게 나타났다.

대표적인 산업곤충에는 장수풍뎅이(Allomyrina dichotoma), 흰점박이꽃무지(Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis), 쌍별귀뚜 라미(Gryllus bimaculatus), 갈색거저리(Tenebrio molitor) 등이 있으며 식용, 약용, 학습애완용 등 다양한 용도로 이용되고 있다. 곤충 산업의 발달로 인한 산업곤충의 집단사육은 곤충을 시간적 제약 없이 대량으로 공급할 수 있다는 장점이 있다. 그러나 밀폐된 공간에서 대량사육은 질병 발생 시 집단 감염 확률이 높고 결국 농가의 소득감소로 이어진다. 산업곤충 유충에서 주로 발생하는 곰팡이병과 세균병, 바이러스병은 유충의 성장을 방해하며 유충이 죽을 때 까지 감염 여부를 알기 어렵다. 따라서 이 연구는 곤충 질병 발생 조기 진단방법 개발을 위한 기초자료를 제공하고자 수행되었다. 장수풍뎅이를 대상으로 질병 감염이 의심되는 유충과, 감염되지 않은 건강충의 장내 미생물 군집에 차이가 나타나는지 비교하였다. 병사충과 건강충의 장내 미생물 군집 구조 차이 구명을 통해 병원성 미생물 감염여부를 조기에 진단하고, 질병의 대량 발생을 예방 할 수 있을 것으로 기대한다.

Insects are attracting the attention of alternative sources of protein. In order to produce high quality insects, studieson the development of safe and nutritious feed sources are needed. Given the cost of rearing insects, agricultural andindustrial by-products were good materials of insect feed. In the current study, Citrus unshiu peel (CP), soybean curdcake (SCC), soybean oil meal (SOM), and brewers dried grain (BDG) were investigated for their effects on larval growthand development of Protaetia brevitarsis. Interestingly, larvae fed on 10% SCC increased their weight by 3.5 times. Forthe larval period, they were significantly shorter than the control. Furthermore, minerals and amino acids were recordedto be high in them. The heavy metals were not detected in any of the investigated groups. These findings provided ascientific basis for the utilization of soybean curd cake as a nutritional feed source to promote larval growth and producequality insects.

Under natural conditions, black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), colonizes in warm temperateregions. Information on black soldier fly rearing, which is affected by seasonal factors in Korea, is limited. Ovipositionby black soldier flies is dependent on light intensity and wavelength. Therefore, continuous mass rearing of this fly requiresdetermination of optimal artificial conditions of illumination. In this study, we compared the number of eggs laid underan artificial light source (750 watt HPL lamp) versus nature sunlight. Our results showed that compared to ovipositionunder natural sunlight, the use of one or two lamps for 7 hours, resulted in only 43 and 76%, of the total number ofeggs laid under natural sunlight, respectively. The hatching rate under the former was much significantly lower than underthe latter.

Recently, Gryllus bimaculatus and the larva of Tenebrio molitor, Protaetia brevitarsis, and Allomyrina dichotoma were enlisted as general food ingredients by Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. As the interest in these insects is growing, the detailed investigation is needed for the standardization of suitable and safe rearing techniques. This survey was conducted via personal interviews about edible insect rearing farms in Korea. The basic feed is fermented oak sawdust for P. brevitarsis and A. dichotoma and wheat bran for T. molitor. The various feed additives are blended with each farm’s own recipes. It seems that larval weight was correlated with the rearing density and duration of the larval period. The heavy metal contents were analyzed after 48 hour starvation and they were very small amount or not detected. We believe that the present data will contribute to develop and standardize the safe rearing techniques of edible insects in Korea.

The frequency and time of the outbreak of insect diseases were investigated among the insect-rearing farms by regional groups. The purpose of this study was to predict the insect diseases and reduce the spread of diseases. From February to October 2016, 87 of diseased insects were collected in seven regions. It turned out that the pathogens for fungal diseases were identified as Metarhizium anisopliae. But in case of bacterial diseases, the pathogenicity of the bacteria isolated from the diseased insects were not confirmed. Bacterial diseases occurred mainly in June and August in Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do, while in Chungcheong-do, bacterial and viral disease raged. In Jeolla-do, both fungal and bacterial diseases occurred in June. Generally, bacterial diseases occurred mainly from June to October, while the frugal diseases occurred from January to March. It was concluded that the entomopathogenic fungi, Metarhizium anisopliae, tended to cause diseases during late-winter and early spring and bacteria, uncertain, was prone to cause diseases during summer. Therefore, it necessary to adequately control depending on the type of the entomopathogen.

The purpose of this study was to identify the new fungal disease of Scopendra subspinipes mutilans (Chilopoda: Scolopendridae) from Jeju island in Korea. Scopendra subspinipes mutilans are also known the Chinese red head and average 20cm in length. It is used for traditional medicine for skin-disease and tumor and S. s. mutilans is recently raised in Jeju island to use healing properties. We isolated fungi from surface of infected S. s. mutilans and incubated in SDBA at 24℃ for 14days, and then identified the morphology of the fungi by light and electron microscopy. For the specific diagnosis of Metarhizium spp. in S. s. mutilans, 18srRNA of fungi was amplified by primers ITS4_MF and LR3_MR and sequenced by using the BLAST server at the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The result of the 18srRNA sequencing alignment was Metarhizium anisopliae (99.9%). The entomopathogenic fungi, M. anisopliae would be fatal cause of higher mortality to S. s. mutilans, and it is needed in vivo assay to confirm the pathogenic activities of M. anisopliae to S. s. mutilans.

Many insects have gained increasing attention as an alternative protein for humans. Among those, the two-spotted cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), was recently approved as a general food ingredient by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. For industrial utilization of G. bimaculatus, mass rearing techniques and production system should be standardized first. In this study, we investigated the effects of five different feeds on the growth and development of G. bimaculatus. Feed is the one of the key factors that has considerable effects on rearing insects. With five different kinds of feed on 1st, 3rd, and 5th instar nymphs, the change of survival rate, body weight were monitored up to eight weeks after hatching. We concluded that 50% of soybean flour, 20% of corn powder, 10% of rice bran, 9% of milk serum, 10% of rice flour, 0.5% of microorganisms, and 0.5% of multivitamins and minerals (diet C) was the best mix for promoting growth and development of 3rd instar nymphs compared to the control diet.

In 2015, we reported a viral disease extremely fatal to Allomyrina dichotoma larvae spread in the majority of the larva-rearing farms in Korea. Currently, the virus-infected larva is diagnosed by PCR-based amplification but this requires laboratory equipment and agarose gel electrophoresis. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), a highly sensitive DNA amplification method, uses DNA polymerase isolated from Bacillus stearothemophilus and a set of six primers. It has great potential for field use because DNA is amplified under single temperature and the overall reaction completes in 30 min without laboratory equipments. Here, we report the development of on-site diagnosis method for Korean horn beetle larva infected by Allomyrina dichotoma Nudivirus.

The purpose of this stduy was to identify accurately and promptly the Microsporidia disease of bumble bees from Gangwon in Korea. Bumble bees are crucial pollinators of various crops and microsporidia are the critical infections of these hosts. Also, the various species of bumble bees have been used: Bombus terrestris, B. lucorum, B. occidentalis, B. ignites and B. impatiens etc. The symptoms of bumble bees infected microsporidia: their abdomens become distended, paralyzed and become sluggish and die early. We have identified the morphologies of the microsporidium by electron microscopy and found that the morphology of the microsporidium is rounded spore morph, with fairly small spores as described before in many other articles. For the specific and sensitive diagnosis of Nosema in bumble bees, we have developed the improved method of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) conditions for expeditious diagnosis. Two pairs of primers were tested on N. bombi and the related microsporidia; Nosema apis and Nosema sp., both of which infect bumble bees and honey bees and further we have verified and analyzed DNA sequence data of N. bombi in bumble bees by using the BLAST server at the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

The white-spotted flower chafer, Protaetia brevitarsis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is traditionally considered to be an important source of medicinal properties of suppression of cancer and prevention of liver-related diseases. Recently, it was listed as a temporal food ingredient by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. To use this insect species without endangering wild populations and produce better quality insects, a mass rearing technique and the suitable rearing conditions are needed. The present study was carried out to determine whether different diets and temperatures can affect the larval weight of this beetle. The larval weight change of third instar larvae was tracked for 14 weeks with different combination of three rearing temperatures – 25, 27.5, and 30℃ - and two feed ingredients – soybean cake and rice bran. Among three temperatures, 27.5℃ was the best temperature condition for rearing this beetle. Among four combinations of two feed ingredients, the addition of soybean cake made significant weight increasement for third instar larvae. These results showed that adding soybean cake at 27.5℃ was the best rearing condition for larval weight gain. This rearing condition can be considered in terms of producing better insects and maximizing producers’ benefits.

The white-spotted chafer, Protaetia brevitarsis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) was recently listed as a temporal food ingredient by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Traditionally, this beetle has been regarded as a medicine for suppressing live cancer and preventing liver-related disease. Based on these facts, this beetle has been focused as a economically important insects in Korea. Therefore, this beetle is commercially reared and distributed in Korea. As the economic importance is growing, we have investigated to enhance insect rearing conditions for better commercial value. In this study, we compared two food supplements, clay and charcoal, on the larval weight gain for second instar larvae of P. brevitarsis. Clay and charcoal are generally known as a good adsorbent for heavy metals and bio-waste. However, clay and charcoal is not a conventional feed supplements, so its effects were not investigated for insect rearing. The second instar P. brevitarsis larvae were fed fermented sawdust with seven different combinations of cla and/or charcoal, and measured body weight for 17 weeks until pupated. Addition of clay at 2.5 % w/w of the fermented sawdust diet had no negative effect on larval weight gain, and thus may improve the quality of P. brevitarsis as a commercial food.

The purpose of this multiplex PCR assay is establishment and application for rapid and simultaneous detection of six pathogens related with insect diseases. Five pathogens were chosen based on the insect disease incidence rate in South Korea and specific primers of those pathogen were designed to detect insect diseases and test multiplex PCR for detecting Fungi; Beauveria bassiana(Bb), Metarhizium anisopliae(Ma), Bacteira; Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt), Pseudomonas aeruginosa(Pa), and Serratia marcescens(Sm). This research carried out the results detecting five kinds of insect pathogen of P. b. seulensis by multiplex PCR. Multiplex PCR is effective and save time to detect simultaneously these insect pathogens and multiple infections to prevent insect disease. In our study, using multiplex PCR, we demonstrated that P. b. seulensis was frequently infected with S. marcescens and co-infected with M. anisopliae in more than 80% of cases, indicating that such an analysis can be useful for pathogen identification, especially if different pathogens produce similar symptoms.

The white-spotted chafer, Protaetia brevitarsis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is the one of the mass-rearing insects in Korea. Traditionally, it has been considered as a medicine for preventing liver-related diseases and suppressing cancer. In addition, this beetle was recently enlisted as a temporal food ingredient by Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. As the economic importance of this beetle is growing, the suitable rearing conditions are needed for more detailed investigation. In this study, we compared three different temperature conditions – 25, 27.5, and 30°C – and the four combinations of two ingredients – soybean cake, and rice bran. With these treatments, the weight change of third instar larvae was tracked for ten weeks. Among three temperatures, 27.5°C was identified as the best temperature condition for rearing this beetle. Among four combinations of different ingredients, the addition of soybean cake made significant weight incensement for third instar larvae. Based on these results, we concluded that adding soybean cake at 27.5°C is the best rearing condition among 12 combinations of temperatures and feed ingredients. In addition, we observed the body weight was reduced when the larvae were closed to the pupation period. Therefore, we recommend that ca. seven weeks after third instar is the best time to distribute it to the market.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of the Black Soldier Fly(BSF) larvae on growth performance, carcass rate, and fatty acid profile of chicken meat in broiler chicks. Four hundred eighty 1-d-old broilers(Ross 308) were distributed into 3 treatments with 4 pens at 30 birds per replicate. Treatments were corn-soybean meal based broiler diet (control) and the basal diet replaced with BSF at the level of 3 and 6% respectively. Viability was not different significantly. Body weight gain was higher in control than other treatments. Feed intake was not statistically different of treatments. Feed conversion ratio was lower in ontrol than other treatments. Relative weight of breast meat was significantly increased in all treated groups than in control. But, another relative weights of chicken meat cuts (thigh, wing, neck, back) were not significantly different among the groups. In conclusion, it could be suggested that dietary supplementation of Black Soldier Fly larvae could beneficially improved the performance on broiler

This study was conducted to investigated the distribution and ecological character of Black Soldier Fly(BSF), Hermetia illucens, to determine effects of BSF on composing ability to waste-food. The distribution of BSF was defined in all parts of the country in Korea. Its main habitat was found to be areas near cattle sheds, manure sheds, living waste dump grounds, and food waste dump grounds. Observed characteristics of BSF by developmental stage may be summarized as follows: eggs were a long oval shape of 886.9±19.7 ㎛ in major axis and 190.1±9.7 ㎛ in minor axis; they were 24.0±1.6 ㎍ in weight. One adult insect laid 1001±247 eggs in quantity; days to hatch from eggs (27℃, 60% R.H.) were 81.3±12.5 hours. Larvae which were hatched appeared to be close to white and turned into pale yellow as being last instar larva. Last instar larva ranged from 20.7±1.1 mm in size, the length of larval stage was approximately 15～20 days. Pupae exhibited red brown, 19.2±1.1 mm in size; pupal state lasted 15.5±1.4 days for female, 14.7±1.4 days for male, exhibiting the tendency of males having shorter period than females. Adult insects were sized about 13～20 mm and colored black.