Evaluation of Using Hermetia illucens and Tenebrio molitor in Larval Diet of Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitate for Improving the Sterile Insect Technique

Mass rearing of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata is one of the fundamental tasks of sterile insect technique (SIT) programs. The sterile male's production needs extensive amounts of larval diets. The present study investigated the use of two different inexpensive sources, black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (BSF), and Yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor (YMW) meals as C. capitata larval diets instead of brewer yeast in the standard diet (St-Diet). The reproductive biology and quality control parameters were assessed as a feasibility study of the two alternative feeding sources for maintaining the performance of the medfly colony. The obtained results revealed that BSF-Diet exhibited the shortest larval and pupal periods (5.86 and 8.06 days) as compared to (6.05 and 9.12 days) and (6.95 and 9.36 days) of St-Diet and YMW-Diet, respectively. Moreover, the pupal production, pupal weight, and adult emergence produced from BSF-Diet were significantly higher than the other diets. In larvae fed on various sources of protein, the total protein content, total carbohydrate content, and the concentration of certain elements composition were investigated. The highest levels from these components were observed on BSF-Diet diet followed by YMW-Diet then the brewer's yeast which induced the lowest levels. Our findings indicated that both BSF-Diet and YMW-Diet were promising for feeding C. capitata larvae, with lower rearing costs compared to the stander diets. Consequently, BSF-Diet improved the quality control parameters of C. capitata colony that could be considered as a remarkably benefit for mass rearing facility to develop SIT program.