Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece.
J Insect Sci. 2021 Mar 1;21(2). doi: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab014.
The aim of this review is to compile up-to-date information on the superworm, Zophobas morio (F.), regarding its biology and ecology, but also its further potential for use as a nutrient source for food and feed. We illustrate certain basic characteristics of the morphology and bio-ecology of this species, which is marginally considered as a 'pest' in durable amylaceous commodities. More recent data show that Z. morio can be a valuable nutrient and antimicrobial source that could be utilized further in insect-based feed and food production. The inclusion of this species in aquafeed has provided promising results in a wide range of feeding trials, both in terms of fish development and health. Additional data illustrate its potential for use in poultry, indicating that this species provides comparable results with those of other insect species that are used in feed. Moreover, Z. morio can be a viable waste management agent. This review aims to summarize the available data and underline data gaps for future research, toward the potential of the utilization of Z. morio for human food and animal feed. Based on the data presented, Z. morio appears to be a well-promising insect-based protein source, which potential still remains to be unfold.
本综述的目的是汇编关于超级大蜡螟（Zophobas morio（F.））的最新信息，包括其生物学和生态学方面的信息，以及将其进一步用作食物和饲料营养来源的潜力。我们说明了这种在耐淀粉商品中被视为“害虫”的物种的某些基本形态和生物生态学特征。最近的数据表明，大蜡螟可以作为有价值的营养和抗菌物质来源，可进一步用于昆虫基饲料和食品生产。将这种昆虫纳入水产饲料已经在广泛的饲养试验中取得了有希望的结果，无论是在鱼类发育还是健康方面。此外的数据表明，它在禽类中也具有潜在的用途，表明该物种在饲料中与其他使用的昆虫物种提供的结果相当。此外，大蜡螟可以作为一种可行的废物管理剂。本综述旨在总结现有数据，并强调未来研究的数据空白，以探讨利用大蜡螟作为人类食物和动物饲料的潜力。基于所呈现的数据，大蜡螟似乎是一种很有前途的基于昆虫的蛋白质来源，其潜力仍有待发掘。
