Entomology
Vol. 57 (2025)
Development of mass-rearing of African giant cricket (Brachytrupes membranaceus (Drury) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)) based on plant material and by-product diets in the Republic of Benin
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Published: 18 December 2025
98
Views
76
Downloads
4
HTML
Authors
The African giant cricket (Brachytrupes membranaceus) is the most consumed species of cricket in Benin. Primarily collected in the wild during the rainy season, B. membranaceus is a seasonal source of animal protein for the population, whose availability and accessibility remain major challenges. This study aimed to determine the growth performance, survival rate, and feed preference of B. membranaceus fed with two different traditional diets. The diet was made up of cassava peelings, cassava stems, cowpea leaves, peanut shells, palm kernel cake, smoked fish waste, and eggshells. The measured parameters were growth, survival, and dietary data. The different diets induced significant variation (p<0.001) in the growth, mortality rate, and yield of the African giant cricket nymphs. The consumption of palm kernel cake, cassava stalks, fish waste, and cowpea leaves by B. membranaceus positively influenced (p<0.001) the crickets’ weight and size gain. A significant reduction in the mortality rate (p<0.001) of African giant crickets was observed with the combination of foods such as cassava peel, cassava stem, fish waste, cowpea leaves, eggshells, and palm kernel cake in their diets. Cassava stems, palm kernel cake, red cowpea leaves, and fish waste could be promoted for the mass rearing of B. membranaceus in Benin.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Citations
ADELEKAN B.A., BAMGBOYE A.I., 2009 - Comparison of biogas productivity of cassava peels mixed in selected ratios with major livestock waste types. - Afr. J. Agric. Res. 4: 571-577.
ADEYEYE E.I., AWOKUNMI E.E., 2010 - Chemical composition of female and male giant African crickets, Brachytrypes membranaceus L. - Int. J. Pharma Bio Sci. 1: 125-136.
ANAGONOU C.M., LOKO L.E.Y., DASSOU A.G., TOFFA J., DJEGBE I., SALIOU M., DANSI A., 2023 - Entomophagy practices, use patterns, and factors influencing perception and consumption frequency of edible insects in the Republic of Benin. - J. Ethnobiol. Ethnomed. 19: 54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-023-00626-z
ARO S.O., ALETOR V.A., TEWE O.O., AGBEDE J.O., 2010 - Nutritional potentials of cassava tuber wastes: a case study of a cassava starch processing factory in south-western Nigeria. -Livest. Res. Rural Dev. 22: 42-47.
AZIZI M.N., LOH T.C., FOO H.L., TEIK CHUNG E.L., 2021- Is palm kernel cake a suitable alternative feed ingredient for poultry? - Animals 11: 338. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020338
BAWA M., SONGSERMPONG S., KAEWTAPEE C., CHANPUT W., 2020 - Effect of diet on the growth performance, feed conversion, and nutrient content of the house cricket. - J. Insect Sci. 20: 10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieaa014
BOBET, O., NASSIO, S., SEYNOU, M., REMY, B., ZERBO, L., SANOU, I., SAWADOGO, M., MILLOGO, Y., GILLES, E., 2020 - Characterization of peanut shells for their valorization in earth brick. - JMMCE 8:301-315. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/jmmce.2020.84018
BÜTTIKER W.W., BUNZLI G.H., 1958 - Biological notes on the tobacco cricket, Brachytrupes membranaceus (Dru.)(Orthop; Gryllidae) South Africa. - Bull. Entomol. Res. 48: 49-57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007485300053426
CLIFFORD C.W., WOODRING J.P., 1990 - Methods for rearing the house cricket, Acheta domesticus (L.), along with baseline values for feeding rates, growth rates, development times, and blood composition. - J. Appl. Entomol. 109: 1-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0418.1990.tb00012.x
COSTA-NETO E.M., DUNKEL F.V., 2016 - Insects as food: history, culture, and modern use around the world. In: Dossey A.T., Morales-ramos J.A.,Rojas M.G. (eds.). Insects as sustainable food ingredients. - Academic Press, London: 29-60 pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-802856-8.00002-8
DAS A., GHOSH D., MANNA B., DOLAI A., PATI A., MANDAL S., MUKHERJEE K., 2022 - Does space matter? Estimation and evaluation of required space for commercial mass culture of grasshoppers (Acridoidea: Orthoptera). - PLoS One 17: e0265664. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265664
EBENEBE C.I., OKONKWO M.N., EZENYILIMBA B.N., EZEANO C.I., 2024 - Ecological, Behavioural and Morphometric Characteristics of the Giant Cricket (Brachytrupes membranaceus L.) in Oji River LGA, Enugu State, South East, Nigeria: a prelude to semi-intensive rearing technique. - e-Proceedings of the Faculty of Agriculture International Conference: 251-261 pp.
GANIHAR S.R., 1997 - Biomass estimates of terrestrial arthropods based on body length. - J. Biosci. 22: 219-224. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02704734
GRABOWSKI N.T., CHHAY T., KEO S., LERTPATARAKOMOL R., KAJAYSRI J., KANG K., MITCHAOTHAI J., 2021 - Proximate composition of Thai and Cambodian ready-to-eat insects. - J. Food Qual. 2021: 9731464. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9731464
GUTIÉRREZ Y., FRESCH M., OTT D., BROCKMEYER J., SCHERBER C., 2020 - Diet composition and social environment determine food consumption, phenotype and fecundity in an omnivorous insect. - R. Soc. Open Sci. 7: 200100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.200100
HONGBÉTÉ F., KINDOSSI J., 2017 - Diversity and traditional consumption of edible insects in North Benin. - J. Sci. Res. Rep. 14: 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9734/JSRR/2017/32542
HONĚK A., 1993 - Intraspecific variation in body size and fecundity in insects: a general relationship. - Oikos 66: 483-492. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3544943
JOHNSON M.D., STRONG A.M., 2000 - Length-weight relationships of Jamaican arthropods. - Entomological News 270-281.
KONGKIATTIKAJORN J., SORNVORAWEAT B., 2011 - Comparative study of bioethanol production from cassava peels by monoculture and co-culture of yeast. - Agric. Nat. Resour. 45: 268-274.
LEMOINE N.P., SHANTZ A.A., 2016 - Increased temperature causes protein limitation by reducing the efficiency of nitrogen digestion in the ectothermic herbivore Spodoptera exigua. - Physiol. Entomol. 41: 143-151. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/phen.12138
MAKKAR H.P., TRAN G., HEUZÉ V., ANKERS P., 2014 - State-of-the-art on use of insects as animal feed. - Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 197: 1-33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2014.07.008
MAGARA H.J.O., NIASSY S., AYIEKO M.A., MUKUNDAMAGO M., EGONYU J.P., TANGA C.M., KIMATHI E.K., ONGERE J.O., FIABOE K.K.M., HUGEL S., ORINDA M.A., ROOS N., EKESI S., 2021 - Edible crickets (Orthoptera) around the world: distribution, nutritional value, and other benefits—a review. - Front. Nutr. 7:537915. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2020.537915
MEGIDO R.C., GIERTS C., BLECKER C., BROSTAUX Y., HAUBRUGE É., ALABI T., FRANCIS F., 2016 - Consumer acceptance of insect-based alternative meat products in Western countries. Food Qual. Pref. 52: 237-243. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2016.05.004
MITCHAOTHAI J., GRABOWSKI N.T., LERTPATARAKOMOL R., TRAIRATAPIWAN T., CHHAY T., KEO S., LUKKANANUKOOL A., 2022 - Production performance and nutrient conversion efficiency of field cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) in mass-rearing conditions. - J. Anim. 12: 2263. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12172263
MORALES-RAMOS J.A., ROJAS M.G., DOSSEY A.T., BERHOW M., 2020 - Self-selection of food ingredients and agricultural by-products by the house cricket, Acheta domesticus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae): a holistic approach to develop optimized diets. - PLoS One 15: e0227400. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227400
MUJINGA W., LWAMBA J., MUTALA S., HÜSKEN S.M.C., 2009 - Inventaire des espèces de poisson disponibles sur les marchés urbains de Lubumbashi, République Démocratique du Congo. The WorldFish Center, Malaysia: 33 pp.
NAKANO T., IKAWA N.I., OZIMEK L., 2003 - Chemical composition of chicken eggshell and shell membranes. - Poult. Sci. 82: 510-514. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ps/82.3.510
OKWECHE S.I., EYO K.I., EFFA E.B., 2022 - Food preference and nutrient composition of African cricket Brachytrupes membranaceus L.(Dury) in Cross River State, Nigeria. - J. Insects Food Feed 8: 1501-1510. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2022.0006
OKWECHE S.I., UGWU Q.O., NWAOGU C., 2024 - Nutritional composition of cricket, Brachytrupes membranaceus (Drury, 1770), and selected animal source foods in Cross River State, Nigeria. - Int. J. Trop. Insect Sci. 44:1271-1278. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-024-01233-5
ORTIZ J.C., RUIZ A.T., MORALES-RAMOS J.A., THOMAS M., ROJAS M.G., TOMBERLIN J.K., JULLIEN R.L., 2016 - Insect mass production technologies. In: Dossey A.T., Morales-Ramos J.A., Rojas M.G. (eds.). Insects as sustainable food ingredients. Academic Press, San Diego: 153-201 pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-802856-8.00006-5
OTACHE M.A., UBWA S.T., GODWIN A.K., 2017 - Proximate analysis and mineral composition of peels of three sweet cassava cultivars. - Asian J. Phys. Chem. Sci. 3: 1-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9734/AJOPACS/2017/36502
PAYNE C.L.R., SCARBOROUGH P., RAYNER M., NONAKA K., 2016 - A systematic review of nutrient composition data available for twelve commercially available edible insects, and comparison with reference values. - Trends Food Sci. Technol. 47: 69-77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2015.10.012
RIGGI L., VERONESI M., VERSPOOR R., MACFARLANE C., TCHIBOZO S., 2013 - Exploring entomophagy in northern benin-practices, perceptions and possibilities. - International Conference Insects to Feed the World Ede The Netherlands 14-17 May 2014. 802-823 pp.
REID M.L., PURCELL J.R.C., 2011 - Condition-dependent tolerance of monoterpenes in an insect herbivore. - Arthropod-Plant Interact. 5: 331-337. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-011-9137-4
RUNYAMBO I., ANDIKA D., WATAKO A., MWONGA S., MWERESA C., 2023 - Feeding preferences of the field cricket Scapsipedus icipe (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) for different species of Commelina. - Eur. J. Entomol. 120 :115-127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2023.014
SCHAAFSMA A., PAKAN I., HOFSTEDE G.J.H., MUSKIET F.A., VAN DER VEER E., DE VRIES P.J.F., 2000 - Mineral, amino acid, and hormonal composition of chicken eggshell powder and the evaluation of its use in human nutrition. - Poult. Sci. 79: 1833-1838. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ps/79.12.1833
SKRIVERVIK E., 2020 – Insects’ contribution to the bioeconomy and the reduction of food waste. - Heliyon 6:e03934. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03934
SORJONEN J.M., VALTONEN A., HIRVISALO E., KARHAPÄÄ M., LEHTOVAARA V.J., LINDGREN J., ROININEN H., 2019 - The plant-based by-product diets for the mass-rearing of Acheta domesticus and Gryllus bimaculatus. - PLos One 14: e0218830. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218830
TAWES B., 2014 - The effect of changing juvenile nutritional conditions and compensatory growth on life history traits in a field cricket, Gryllus texensis. Graduate theses and dissertations. - Iowa State University, Paper 13800.
TCHIBOZO S., VAN HUIS A., PAOLETTI M.G., 2005 - Notes on edible insects of South Benin: a source of protein. In: Paoletti M.G. (ed.). Ecological implications of minilivestock (role of rodents, frogs, snails, and insects for sustainable development). Science Publishers: 245-251 pp.
VAN HUIS A., 2013 - Potential of insects as food and feed in assuring food security. - Annu. Rev. Entomol. 58: 563-583. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-120811-153704
VAN HUIS A., 2020 - Edible crickets, but which species? - J. Insects Food Feed 6: 91-94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2020.x001
WALDBAUER G.P., 1968 - The consumption and utilization of food by insects. - Adv. Insect Physiol. 5: 229-288. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2806(08)60230-1
ZHANG X., TANG H., CHEN G., QIAO L., LI J., LIU B., LIU Z., LI M., LIU X., 2019 - Growth performance and nutritional profile of mealworms reared on corn stover, soybean meal, and distillers’ grains. - Eur. Food Res. Technol. 245: 2631-2640. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-019-03336-7
How to Cite
Development of mass-rearing of African giant cricket (Brachytrupes membranaceus (Drury) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)) based on plant material and by-product diets in the Republic of Benin. (2025). Journal of Entomological and Acarological Research, 57. https://doi.org/10.4081/jear.2025.13406
Copyright (c) 2025 Corinne Mèdéou Anagonou, Yêyinou Laura Estelle Loko, Anicet G. Dassou, Toffa Joelle, Alexandre Dansi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.