Multidimensional approach to formulating a specialized diet for northern corn rootworm larvae

Abstract

The northern corn rootworm (NCR), Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence, is a major pest of maize ( Zea mays L.). This pest has developed resistance to insecticides and adapted to crop rotation and may already be in the early stages of adaptation to toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Toxicity bioassays using artificial diet have proven to be valuable for monitoring resistance in many species, but no artificial diet has been developed specifically for NCR larvae. Toward this end, we first evaluated known Diabrotica diets to identify a starting media. We then developed a specialized diet for NCR using an iterative approach. Screening designs including 8 diet components were performed to identify the principal nutritional components contributing to multiple developmental parameters (survival, weight, and molting). We then applied mixture designs coupled with response surface modeling to optimize a blend of those components. Finally, we validated an improved NCR diet formulation that supports approximately 97% survival and molting, and a 150% increase in larval weight after 10 days of feeding compared with the best previously published artificial diet. This formulation appears suitable for use in diet bioassays as a tool for evaluating the resistance of NCR populations to insecticides.

Evaluation of various commodities for the development of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor

“…Diet plays an important role for insect growth and performance; therefore, the development of an effective artificial diet has been identified as a crucial component of insect-producing systems, such as the mass production of beneficial arthropods in general 30 , phytophagous insects 31,32 or insects reared as a source of nutrients for food or feed 33,34 . In the case of T. molitor, considerable effort has been focused on the development of artificial diets that would maximize the biomass production of highly nutritious larvae, with a concomitant reduction in their developmental time.…”

Development of Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on Poultry Litter-Based Diets: Effect on Chemical Composition of Larvae

“…Whereas all diets were accepted by the T. molitor , development times were not affected by poultry litter, the same was true for survival rate. Diet plays an important role for insect growth and performance; therefore, the development of an effective artificial diet has been identified as a crucial component of insect-producing systems, such as the mass production of beneficial arthropods in general ( Chen et al 2014 , Morales-Ramos et al 2014 , Huynh et al 2019 , Rumbos et al 2020 ). In the case of T. molitor , considerable effort has been focused on the development of artificial diets that would maximize the biomass production of highly nutritious larvae, with a concomitant reduction in their developmental time as well as low-cost diet.…”

Development of an improved and accessible diet for western corn rootworm larvae using response surface modeling

“…The application of mixture experiments with response surface modeling has shown value in insect diet improvement by identifying and maximizing key ingredients in existing coleopteran diets 17,18,25–27 . By using this approach, we characterized eight different protein ingredients from animal, plant and yeast sources and maximized the key protein component based on all larval response measures.…”

“…Mixture designs combined with response surface modeling have been highly efficient for use in diet improvement for WCR 18 , northern corn rootworm, D . barberi Smith & Lawrence 25 , and another coleopteran species, Diaprepes abbreviatus (Linnaeus) 26,27 . Since insect diets are a mixture of several ingredients, a change in the number of ingredients and in the proportion of any ingredient results in a change in the relative composition of all ingredients.…”