Bread By-Product and Maize Silage as Alternative Ingredient Feeds for Production of <i>Tenebrio molitor</i> Larvae in High-Concentrate Substrates

Abstract

Bread by-product and maize silage as substrates for Tenebrio molitor larvae were studied in four isonitrogenous diets: a control substrate (CTL) made of wheat grain, wheat bran, and soybean meal and three diets where wheat grain and wheat bran were partly substituted with bread by-product (BBP) or with this and either a low (MSL) or high (MSH) proportion of maize silage (170 or 310 g/kg, respectively). Larval weight was weekly monitored, and the chemical composition of larvae and residual substrates was analyzed at the end of the experiment. Larvae fed CTL and BBP grew more than those fed MSL and MSH (p p p p T. molitor larvae, but the impairments in growth performance should be considered to optimize production costs.

Keywords

• insect feeding
• bread by-product
• maize silage
• larval growth