Insect Diets; Science and Technology (Electronic book text)

Many of the advances in entomology during the past century can be attributed to the ability to rear insects successfully on artificial diets. Reliance upon these diets dictates that we understand how and why diets work and why they fail. Insect Diets: Science and Technology explains the intricacies and dynamics of this complex and misunderstood aspect of entomology.This text discusses the various ingredients and processing steps of successful diets. It details various nutrient classes and explains how the constituent parts of diets meet insect nutritional and feeding needs. The author examines diets in terms of overall insect biology, and explores the physical and chemical interactions of food components. This book offers an expert perspective on diet development and how a program of food quality assessment can be applied to rearing systems.Drawing heavily on the field of food science, the book applies the vast resources, information, and methods of this discipline toward a full analysis of the preparation of insect diets, an analysis that serves as a valuable resource in the advancement of entomology.