Research and Selection of Tenebrio Molitor Larvae
1. Development and Utilization of Tenebrio Molitor Larvae
The fat in Tenebrio molitor larvae is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which can be purified for medical and cosmetic use. Tenebrio molitor fat can enhance the skin's anti-wrinkle function and has a certain therapeutic and alleviating effect on skin diseases, making it a product worthy of research and development. The breeding of Tenebrio molitor in our country started at the beginning of this century. At that time, the bred Tenebrio molitor was mainly used as medicinal animals and feed for rare poultry, and also for scientific research and teaching. Recently, the development and utilization of Tenebrio molitor have developed rapidly. Due to the development of the health products market, it has promoted the development and utilization of Tenebrio molitor. The breeding of Tenebrio molitor has spread throughout the country, and Tenebrio molitor is available for sale in flower, bird, fish, and insect markets everywhere, with large sales volumes. Tenebrio molitor has evolved from being feed for scorpions and softshell turtles to becoming feed for more than ten kinds of animals such as birds, goldfish, turtles, clams, bullfrogs, and tropical fish. Recently, scholars across the country have conducted more research on the edibility of Tenebrio molitor. Catering systems, hotels, and restaurants have gradually brought Tenebrio molitor to the dining table and are gradually being accepted by consumers.
Currently, most chitin products on the market are extracted from shrimp and crab shells. Shrimp and crab shells contain large amounts of lime and wax, with chitin content being only 4%-6%, resulting in complex production processes. Insect exoskeletons contain low levels of lime and wax, with chitin content reaching up to 20%-40%, making extraction easier and product quality higher. It has many uses in pharmaceuticals, health products, food, cosmetics, textiles, or agricultural forestry fruit and vegetable yield enhancers manufacturing industries. In recent years, some scholars have been studying the use of Tenebrio molitor's cuticle to extract chitin and chitosan. Chitin, also known as chitosan, is a polyacetylglucosamine widely found in lower plants, fungi, crustacean shells, and higher plant cell walls. Chitosan, also known as deacetylated chitin, is a product of chitin deacetylation. Both chitin and chitosan have wide-ranging applications. They can lower human cholesterol, enhance the body's immune capabilities, prevent and treat diabetes, and reduce blood pressure. They can be used to make artificial skin with cell-activating, antibacterial, and hemostatic effects. They can serve as food stabilizers, emulsifiers, preservatives, and clarifiers. They can also play a role in the manufacture of textiles with antibacterial, preservative, and anti-allergic properties.
2. Development of Tenebrio Molitor Food Products
After years of research and experimentation, we classify Tenebrio molitor food products into three categories, each with many series of products, known as "Hanxia" food.
1. Series of Tenebrio Molitor Snack Foods
Strict impurity removal process treatment is applied to Tenebrio molitor (Tenebrio molitor not treated through strict impurity removal process must not be directly processed into food). After disinfection, fixation, drying (dehydration), they are ground into powder, which we call "Hanxia Powder." Hanxia powder can be used as a food ingredient, added to rice and flour foods, to produce a series of "Hanxia Foods." Adding 7% "Hanxia Powder" to cookies makes them delicious and increases protein content by one fold. Adding 5% "Hanxia Powder" to puffed snacks makes them fragrant, crispy, and nutritious. Adding "Hanxia Powder" to brittle sugar or mooncake fillings produces uniquely flavored "Hanxia Brittle Sugar" and "Hanxia Mooncakes."
2. Deeply Processed Tenebrio Molitor Products
Extracting proteins, composite amino acids, fats, and chitin requires high standards of equipment and technology, involving significant investment. Similar to the first two food series, Tenebrio molitor raw materials must undergo strict impurity removal and disinfection before use.
3. Tenebrio Molitor Beverage Series
After removing impurities, Tenebrio molitor larvae are pulped, juiced, and the skin filtered out. The juice is then blended into flavored beverages or dried and sprayed into powder to create instant drinks. These beverages contain over 10% protein, several times that of milk, with a nutty aroma and unique flavor.
3. Selection of Tenebrio Molitor Breeding Stock
Besides feeding general feed, when the larvae grow to about 5 mm long, some green vegetables like Chinese cabbage, cabbage, kale, radish, and watermelon rind can be added appropriately. Moist feed should be washed and dried until half-dry, then cut into pieces about 1 cm² and scattered into the breeding box. Larvae particularly enjoy eating vegetable feeds, but the amount fed at one time should not be too large; excessive feeding will increase humidity inside the breeding box, leading to disease-prone conditions. Generally, the amount of vegetable leaves fed should be consumed within 6 hours, and moist feed should be given every two days, with slightly more in summer if necessary. During the larval pupation period, moist feed should be reduced or stopped.
Selecting good breeding stock is very important in Tenebrio molitor production. After years of artificial breeding, signs of degeneration may appear in Tenebrio molitor populations. Internal reproduction after dozens or even hundreds of generations, combined with inbreeding and unsuitable environmental factors during artificial breeding, may weaken some Tenebrio molitor individuals' living abilities, reduce their disease resistance, slow their growth rates, and decrease their size. Therefore, attention should be paid to selecting breeding stock in artificial Tenebrio molitor breeding. Good Tenebrio molitor breeding stock exhibits strong vitality, doesn't picky eat, grows fast, and utilizes feed efficiently. It is appropriate to select Tenebrio molitor breeding stock during the larval stage. When selecting mature larvae as breeding stock, the following points should be noted:
1. Strong Vitality of Tenebrio molitor
Tenebrio molitor moves quickly, reacts strongly to light, prefers darkness, often gathers together, and keeps moving. When placed on the palm, it will move quickly, and when encountering vegetable leaves or fruit peels, it will climb up to feed immediately.
2. Large Size of Tenebrio molitor
A simple weighing method can generally be used, i.e., calculating the number of mature larvae per kilogram. Tenebrio molitor larvae weighing between 3500-4000 per kilogram are preferable, indicating larger individual sizes. Typically, Tenebrio molitor larvae weigh around 500-6000 per kilogram, and larvae of this weight should not be retained as breeding stock.
3. Robust Shape of Tenebrio molitor
Tenebrio molitor larvae have full bodies, golden-yellow color, shiny surfaces, and distinct white undersides. Body length exceeds 30 mm. Besides directly selecting specially cultivated superior breeding stock, breeding stock should also be selected and carefully managed during the rearing process. The temperature for breeding stock should be maintained between 24-30°C, with relative humidity between 60%-75%. The feed for breeding stock should be nutritionally rich, with balanced components, sufficient protein, vitamins, and inorganic salts. Royal jelly can be added if necessary to promote gonadal development, extend the reproductive period, and increase egg production. The male-to-female ratio of adult Tenebrio molitor is ideally 1:1. The lifespan of adult Tenebrio molitor is generally 80-185 days, which can be extended with good management and feed. Under excellent breeding management, each female adult Tenebrio molitor can lay over 880 eggs. When initially selecting breeding stock, it is best to purchase professionally cultivated or self-cultivated breeding stock. Thereafter, the breeding stock should be replaced after every 2-3 generations. Professional breeding units scientifically select and cultivate breeding stock, combining domesticated and wild varieties' advantages. Using superior breeding stock provides more advantages compared to using degenerated varieties, resulting in greater benefits in production.