Feedipedia
Animal feed resources information system
Feedipedia
Feedipedia

Did you find the information you were looking for? Is it valuable to you? Feedipedia is encountering funding shortage. We need your help to keep providing reference-based feeding recommendations for your animals.
Would you consider donating? If yes, please click on the button Donate.

Any amount is the welcome. Even one cent is helpful to us!

Barker et al., 1998. Zoo Biology, 17 (2): 123-134

Document reference 
Barker, D. ; Fitzpatrick, M. P. ; Dierenfeld, E. S., 1998. Nutrient composition of selected whole invertebrates. Zoo Biology, 17 (2): 123-134
Document description 

A comprehensive summary of the nutritional content of selected whole invertebrates used in zoo feeding programmes is presented. Proximate composition, fat-soluble vitamins and minerals in meal worms (Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas morio [ Z. atratus]), crickets (Acheta domesticus), waxworms (Galleria mellonella), fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), and earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) were estimated. All species had a water content >50% of their body weights. Larval invertebrates had higher fat content (x>30% DM) than adult species. Total N ranged from 5.2% DM (earthworms) to 10.3% DM (adult crickets), whereas chemically bound N comprised 3-10% of total N in all invertebrates. NDF, used as a measure of chitin, averaged 15.3% DM for all species except wild-caught earthworms, which were higher (51% DM). Vitamin E concentrations ranged from 15 IU/kg DM (meal worms) to 509 IU/kg DM (waxworms). Vitamin A levels were undetectable (fruit flies) to low in all samples; none met the recommended dietary vitamin A levels established for domestic carnivores. Insects had low Ca (x=0.11%) and imbalanced Ca to P ratios except for pinhead crickets. Insects sampled contained sufficient levels of Cu, Fe, Mg, P and Zn to meet known requirements of domestic birds and mammals, whereas super-meal worms and waxworms contained deficient levels of Mn. Earthworms appeared to meet dietary mineral requirements, based on domestic bird and mammal recommendations.

Citation key 
Barker et al., 1998