Estimation of genetic parameters for the implementation of selective breeding in commercial insect production

Dietary change can be a strong evolutionary force and lead to rapid adaptation in organisms. High-fat and high-sugar diets can challenge key metabolic pathways, negatively affecting other life-history traits and inducing pathologies such as obesity and diabetes. In this study we use experimental evolution to investigate the plastic and evolutionary responses to nutritionally unbalanced diets. We reared replicated lines of larvae of the housefly Musca domestica on a fat-enriched (FAT), a sugar-enriched (SUG), and a control (CTRL) diet for thirteen generations. We measured development time in each generation, and larval growth and fat accumulation in generation 1, 7, and 13. Subsequently all lines were reared for one generation on the control diet to detect any plastic and evolutionary changes. In the first generation, time to pupation decreased on a fat-rich diet and increased on a sugar-rich diet. The fat-rich diet increased fat accumulation and, to a lesser extent, dry weight of the larvae. Multigenerational exposure to the unbalanced diets caused compensatory changes in development time, dry weight, as well as absolute and relative fat content, although pattern and timing depended on diet and trait. When put back on a control diet, many of the changes induced by the unbalanced diets disappeared, indicating that diet has large plastic effects. Nevertheless, fat-evolved lines still grew significantly larger than the sugar-evolved lines, and sugar-evolved lines had consistently lower fat content. This can be an effect of parental diet or an evolutionary change in nutrient metabolism as a consequence of multigenerational exposure to unbalanced diets.

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Controlled and polygynous mating in the black soldier fly: advancing breeding programs through quantitative genetic designs

Jensen,

Thormose,

Noer

et al. 2024

Preprint

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In animal breeding programs, utilizing quantitative genetic designs such as the full-/half-sibling design is fundamental. A full-/half-sibling design demands that mating can be controlled, and individuals can be tracked for the construction of a pedigree. In nature, black soldier fly (Hermetia illucensL.) males are reported to gather in lekking groups to engage in competitive displays and courtship rituals before mating. This lekking behavior is described as crucial for establishing suitable conditions and achieving successful mating, and polygyny is therefore assumed to be rare. We show that when exposing a virgin male to a virgin female, they readily mate, demonstrating the ability to mate without prior lekking and that it is possible to mate selected pairs. Furthermore, we show that successful mating can be achieved between an individual male and at least four virgin females within a four-hour time span, and that nearly all matings result in live offspring. Our findings pave the way for movingH. illucensbreeding programs beyond mass selection towards advanced selective breeding designs demanding controlled mating. Such designs enable selection for multiple traits simultaneously, are used to prevent inbreeding, and can drastically increase rates of selection responses compared to mass selection.

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Estimation of genetic parameters for the implementation of selective breeding in commercial insect production

Cited by 4 publications

References 61 publications

Framework for valorizing waste- and by-products through insects and their microbiomes for food and feed

Framework for valorizing waste- and by-products through insects and their microbiomes for food and feed

High-fat and high-sugar diets induce rapid adaptations of fat storage in the house fly Musca domestica L.

Controlled and polygynous mating in the black soldier fly: advancing breeding programs through quantitative genetic designs

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