일반적으로 곤충의 영양성분은 단백질과 지방, 광물질 및 비타민을 풍부히 함유하고 있고, 아미노산 조성은 대부분의 케이스에서 곡물이나 콩류에 비해 우수하고 단쇄불포화지방산이 풍부하다. 이에 곤충을 이용한 사료는 매우 안전하고 저단가의 고품질 단백질 사료의 생산을 가능하게 할 수 있기에 사료용 곤충 갈색거저리 특성을 파악하고자 하였다. 갈색거저리는 성충이 된 후 빠르게는 5일 이후부터 산란하기 시작하여 성충 전기간동안 산란하는 특성이 있으나, 주로 성충 초기･중기 기간에 집중적으로 산란하는 것을 확인하였다. 수명 및 산란성을 조사한 결과, 수명(암컷/수컷) 152.4/150.7일, 산란전기간 7.8일, 산란기간 평균 114.1일, 산란수 364개이었다. 또한 성충은 먹이에 알을 붙여서 산란하는 특성이 있으며, 사육상자 내 곡물류, 채소류 등 함께 사용 시 밀기울이 가장 산란선호성이 높았으나, 각 재료를 단독으로 사용 시 밀기울, 옥수수분말이 선호도가 높았다. 알의 색깔은 유백색, 크기는 장경 1.93㎜, 단경 1.00㎜이었다. 알 보호온도별 부화율은 17.5~27.5℃일 경우 80%이상이었으나, 15℃이하에서는 거의 부화되지 않았다.

Temperature and nutrition are the two most important environmental factors influencing growth and survival in immature insects. There is ample evidence of interactions between these two factors but still little is known how changes in thermal environment affect feeding and nutrient utilization insect ectotherms. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential effects of ambient temperature on food selection and post-ingestive nutritional physiology in a generalist-feeding caterpillar of Spodorptera litura. Two separate experiments were performed. The first was a food choice experiment in which caterpillars were maintained through their final larval stadium under one of three constant temperatures(20,25,30°) and given a choice between two nutritionally unbalanced diets that differed in protein(p) and carbohydrate(c) content (p42:c0 vs p7:c35 and p35:c7 vs p7:c35). In the second experiment, caterpillars were kept at the same thermal conditions as the first experiment but received a single diet from three no-choice feeding treatments(p35:c7,p21:c21and p7:c35). When raised at the highest temperature (30C), caterpillars from the choice experiment selected significantly more carbohydrate than those on lower temperatures whereas protein intake did not differ significantly between caterpillars across three test temperatures. Results from the no-choice experiment showed that lipid storage efficiency was reduced when caterpillars were maintained at the highest temperature(30C). In both experiments, growth rate increased progressively with rising temperature. However, there was a significant temperature-by-diet interaction, with growth rates increasing more rapidly on p21:c21 diet than on the other diets(p35:c7 and p7:c35). Our results demonstrate that caterpillars adjust their nutrient preference to meet the increased energetic demand at high ambient temperature.