Edible insects, rich in nutrients, have the potential to become a healthy and sustainable alternative to traditional, but often deficit, food products. The availability of this prospective source of protein, without disruptions in the continuity of supply, is only possible with the correct storage method. The conducted research aimed to assess the development of the flour beetle (Tribolium confusum Duv.) on wheat flour, ground insect protein, and products with its additives (2%, 5%, 10%, and 50% addition of insect flour to wheat flour). Development monitoring (no-choice test) of T. confusum showed that this pest developed most abundantly in combinations with a high content of cricket flour (100%, 50%). The results of these studies proved that insect protein can be a source of food for storage pests. The second part of the experiment, taking into account the food preferences of the analysed insect, showed that in a situation of free choice, this insect is more willing to inhabit plant flour (wheat) and combinations with a small addition of insect flour (2%, 5%). In combination with a high share of insect protein (10%, 50%), the development intensity of the tested beetle was significantly lower, and in combination with pure cricket flour (100%), no progeny of T. confusum was found. Although cricket flour is a good food for T. confusum, it does not attract adult forms of this pest. This may be due to the lack of volatile attractants in its composition or the masking of these compounds by other substances. The high protein content in cricket flour (68.05%) may indicate that proteins are responsible for these effects, and further studies should explore their effects on the feeding behaviour of T. confusum.
Słomiński et al. (Fri,) studied this question.