Mapping the use of insects in animal feed: scientific and technological data of Tenebrio molitor, Hermetia illucens, and Zophobas morio

Insects emerge as a promising alternative for animal feed, owing to their lower demand for finite resources and ability to utilize a wide range of waste as substrates for their rearing. The nutritional composition of these organisms is crucial for their viability as animal feed. Furthermore, specific molecules derived from insects may represent animal and human nutrition and provide health advancements. This study aims to identify the main sectors of animal production that adopt Tenebrio molitor, Hermetia illucens, and Zophobas morio as feed sources and detect trends, their primary derived raw materials, and associated bioactive properties. Additionally, it describes the current technological and scientific scenario of insect use in animal nutrition. A search for patent documents was conducted using the Espacenet platform of the European Patent Office (EPO). Search terms included ‘tenebrio,’ ‘hermetia,’ ‘zophobas,’ and ‘feed*,’ along with the a23k (CPC) code, resulting in 324 relevant patent documents. A similar approach was adopted to search 609 scientific articles in the Scopus indexing database, with additional exclusion terms to refine results according to the thematic interest. Tenebrio molitor was the most studied insect in patents and scientific articles, primarily focusing on its application in aquaculture. Hermetia illucens demonstrated a growing interest, particularly in poultry farming. In contrast, Zophobas morio had limited representation. Additionally, the bioactive compounds from insects are a trending topic. The three insect species are not equally used in feed and are currently focused on specific areas of animal production. Tenebrio molitor and Hermetia illucens are alternative ingredients with nutritional and functional properties, whereas Zophobas morio requires further research to fully understand its potential.