Survivability, growth performance and nutrient composition of the African Palm Weevil (Rhyncophorus phoenicis Fabricius) reared on Four different substrates

Abstract

Survivability, growth performance and nutrient composition of the African Palm weevil (APW) (Rhyncophorus phoenicis) reared on four different substrates was investigated following earlier finding that Sugar cane tops (SCT) and Spoilt water melon (SWM) could be useful in captive rearing of the weevil. This necessitated a search into other waste fruits that could be used as media for rearing of APW as their infestation of oil and raffia palm is not only unfriendly to the environment but also wastage of economic resources. The growth and nutrient composition of the larvae in three waste fruits (Not rotten but not fit for human consumption): Spoilt Water Melon (SWM), Ripe Paw paw (RPP), Spoilt Pine apple (SPA) and Sugarcane tops (SCT: Off Cut from the tip of sugarcane) were compared in this study. One hundred and twenty newly emerged APW larvae of similar weights collected from "Mgbo swamp" in Ebenebe town, Anambra State, Nigeria, were used for the study which lasted for ten weeks. Thirty larvae were randomly assigned to each of the treatments (Culture media). The experiment was designed on a 4 x 3 Completely Randomized Designed, whereby each treatment had 30 APW larvae in three replicates of 10 larvae per replicate. The larvae were housed in plastic bowls of 30cm diameter and 40cm height. The bottom part of each bowl was perforated to let out moisture and the top covered with mosquito net to avoid flies. The substrates in each housing unit were removed and replaced with fresh ones on weekly basis to minimize microbial attack. Survivability, growth performance in terms of weight gain and increase in linear body measurements within 10 weeks were monitored and used as indices of the suitability of each of the culture media. At the end of the experiment three larvae were randomly selected from each replicate and taken to the

Chemical Composition, Nutrient Quality and Acceptability of Edible Insects Are Affected by Species, Developmental Stage, Gender, Diet, and Processing Method

“…When vermiwash (water washings of earthworm cocoons) at 10%, 25% or 50% was sprayed on mulberry leaves and fed to fifth instar B. mori larvae, significant increases on a dose-dependent basis were observed with regard to carbohydrates, protein and fat [ 93 ]. However, when Ebenebe et al [ 94 ] reared R. phoenicis larvae on four organic substrates, e.g., sugarcane tops, split watermelon, split pineapple and raw papaya, their larvae had (on dry weight basis) normal carbohydrate, protein and fibre, contents that did not vary much and statistical significance was lacking. They concluded that split pineapple can be selected for feeding larvae as a potential source of protein and fluid.…”

“…The highest protein (32.0%) and fibre (8.4%) content was found in R. phoenicis larvae fed on oil palm yolk. Practically, year-round non-availabilities of some plant materials and the costs involved to procure them make vegetative substrates often uneconomic for mass production by farmers and tribal communities [ 94 ].…”

Overview of the African palm weevil (Rhynchophorus phoenicis) as food and feed – A critical review

“…They begin to hatch after three days, whereby the larvae tunnel into the crown and trunk. Moreover, the larvae are legless (apodous), yellowish-white in colour and have brown heads (Ebenebe et al, 2017). APW larvae may reach 5-6 cm in length and have brown edges displaying bristles (Mba et al, 2018).…”

“…Insects are often considered a nuisance to humans and mere pests for both crops and animals. Nonetheless, they are also a food source with a low environmental impact and cost, and tend to contribute positively to small-scale livelihoods, in addition to playing an important role in nature (Muafor et al, 2012;Ebenebe et al, 2017). However, the public remains largely unaware of these benefits.…”

Edible Insects Diversity and Their Importance in Cameroon

“…Preliminary findings in artificial production of palm weevil larvae are promising [19]. Massive palm grub production is in pilot stages with some important success [19][20][21][22][23]. Substrates and microclimate conditions have been mastered and trials already done under farmers' conditions [22].…”