The impact of protein and calcium feed additives on the growth of Jamaican field cricket (Gryllus assimilis)
This investigation was aimed at testing the effect of calcium from egg shells and protein from powdered pupae of Hermetia illucens on the growth of Jamaican field cricket ( Gryllus assimilis ). As human population grows new environmentally friendly highly nutritious alternative food sources become a relevant issue. Using insects for food is a promising trend. Some species of insects such as Jamaican field cricket are used for feeds and food due to its nutritional value and rapid biomass gain. Biomass composition and production are greatly affected by insect diet. One- and two-month-old crickets were used in this experiment to analyze insect metabolism at different growth stages. A protein additive comprised powdered pupae of Hermetia illucens , the calcium one - ground egg shells. Cricket weight grew after both egg shell and pupae use which makes these additives effective for the production of larger insects. The additives positively affected cricket survival rate and accelerated the transformation of nymph into imago. Therefore, the additives were able to improve the efficiency of feeds, increase insect biomass and accelerate cricket production.