본 연구는 아메리카동애등에(Hermetia illucens)의 대량 사육을 위하여 남은음식물 사료의 최적 수분 함량과 적정 사육 밀도를 조사하였다. 실 험에서는 500 g의 습식 사료의 수분 함량을 각각 30%, 50%, 70%, 90%로 조정한 후, 3,500마리의 3령 유충을 7일 동안 사육하였다. 그 결과, 90% 수분 함량에서 평균 유충 무게는 7.19 g으로 측정되었고, 70% 수분 함량에서 가장 높은 무게인 10.54 g이 나타났다. 반면, 50%와 30% 수분 함량에 서는 유충 생육이 저조한 결과가 나타났다. 적절 사육 밀도를 조사를 위해 100,000, 150,000, 200,000, 250,000 마리의 3령 유충을 70% 수분함량 의 100 kg 습식 사료에 7일 동안 처리하였다. 그 결과, 250,000 마리에서 총 유충 생산량이 22.79 kg으로 가장 높게 나타났으나, 150,000, 200,000, 250,000 마리 밀도 간에는 유의미한 차이가 없었다. 100마리당 평균 무게는 100,000 마리에서 16.90 g, 150,000 마리에서 15.20 g, 200,000 마리 에서 11.30 g, 250,000 마리에서 9.50 g으로 확인되었으며, 100,000 마리와 150,000 마리 밀도 간에는 유의미한 차이가 없었다. 결론적으로, 남은 음식물 사료인 습식사료 100 kg를 급여할 경우 수분 함량을 70%로 유지하고 사육 밀도를 15만 마리로 설정하는 것이 가장 효과적임을 확인하였다.

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.

This study evaluated the effect of four different feeds on the larval weight and survival rate of Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis (PBS) over five weeks. Four different types of feed (self-fermentation medium, RM medium, Samsung livestock medium, and bean-curd dregs medium) were given to third-instar larvae of PBS. Weight changes and survival rates of PBS larvae were measured weekly for five weeks. During the experimental period PBS larvae showed the highest growth in Samsung livestock medium, followed by bean-curd dregs medium, RM medium, and self-fermentation medium. Survival rate of PBS larvae were the lowest in bean-curd dregs medium, and then in the Samsung livestock medium. Using the Samsung livestock medium can shorten the delivery period of PBS larvae by approximately 40 days based on the larva shipped on average 75 days. Therefore, this study provides information and data on insect farming techniques useful for insect industrialization.