REFERENCE TO RELATED PUBLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application 61/227,811, dated 23 July 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the feeding and diet of insects and particularly to methods of producing a diet for insect biological control agents derived from insect eggs.

2. Background Art

The use of insects as Biological Control Agents (BCAs) in agriculture is an ever- expanding market, worth approximately US$350 million annually, not including bumblebees, and microbials. BCAs such as the minute pirate bug (e.g. Onus laevigatus, O. insidiosus) are artificially reared and then applied on crops. The minute pirate bug is an important predator of thrips, phytophagous mites (eggs and mobile stages), insect eggs and a number of soft bodied insect pests. In greenhouse vegetables (chiefly sweet pepper, egg plant, melon and others) its role as a predator of Western flower thrips, sweet potato whitefiy and spider mites is particularly significant and economically important to pest managers and integrated pest management programs. Minute pirate bugs can be found naturally in important open field crops such as corn, soybean, alfalfa, and cotton. The minute pirate bug possesses highly efficient searching behavior and is a voracious feeder, each individual being capable of consuming 30 or more spider mites and Western flower thrips a day. While it preys on insects that are pests to the crops, the damage it causes itself to the crops is negligible, thus commercially reared minute pirate bugs are widely used in agriculture in open fields and greenhouses as a form of biological control.

Orius bugs are available commercially from insectaries and are shipped as adults in a carrier such as bran, rice hulls, or vermiculite, along with a food source. The carrier can be shaken onto plants and the bugs will readily disperse and locate prey. Several patents in the field, for example, CN21192036Y and CNl 01331868 (A) relate generally to devices and methods for housing, feeding, breeding and rearing minute pirate bugs.

Other BCAs include Bigeyed bugs that feed on insect eggs and many other pests such as flea beetles, caterpillars and spider mites. Ladybeetles feed on aphids, mealybugs, spider mites and other soft-bodied arthropods. The green lacewing feeds on soft-bodied arthropods including aphids, thrips, mealybugs, scales, caterpillars and mites. Predatory mites such as Phytoseiulus persimilis, that feed on spider mites, are also extensively used in agriculture. All these BCAs can be reared commercially to be used for biological control of different pests on various crops.

Patents exist for the general rearing, feeding, breeding and transporting of these BCAs, such as US5784991 that describes a method for rearing or transporting entomophagous insects by providing a shelter made of foam. CN 1631127 A describes a system of artificial rearing of lacewings and ladybugs by providing them with all the steps necessary to maintain their lifecycle. US6506597, US5945271 and US6235528 describe an artificial diet for entomophagous insects comprising cooked avian egg and a plurality of other constituents however this diet is not based on the natural diet of the BCAs.

EP0827375B1 provides a method for breeding and packaging auxiliary organisms such as lacewings and predacious plant bugs for biocontrolling plant pests. According to the method, breeding boxes are filled with a substrate such as popcorn coated with an adhesive material so that a specific feed dose required for breeding the BCA can be maintained, the food consisting of the eggs of the flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella. US7354611 describes a new protein supplement for insect rearing of that contains extracts of insect eggs or cultured insect egg embryonic cell lines from insects such as Plodia interpunctella and Ephestia kuehniella to increase the fecundity of insects mass-reared for biocontrol such as the minute pirate bug. US4765274 also describes a method of mass producing an insect egg-parasitoid such as Trichogramma maidis by providing host eggs of E. kuehniella. However the use of E. kuehniella as a diet for beneficial insects (especially predators) is expensive and significantly increases the cost of mass rearing them for biological control purposes. The Mediterranean fruit fly, also known as the rnedfly, is one of the major pests in agriculture, able to cause damage to a wide range of fruit crops. The female medfiy lays its eggs under the skins of fruit. They hatch after about three days, depending on temperature. The larvae develop inside the fruit causing severe damage. An important non-chemical and environmentally-benign means of controlling the medfiy is the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) where male pupae of the medfiy are irradiated, giving rise to sterile adults. Sterile males are mass- released into the field. Once they mate with wild females the latter lay eggs that will fail to hatch thus decimating the future population. In this way the medfiy or other insect pests can be controlled and even eradicated in the case of some species, in a species-specific manner without the use of pesticides. The by-product of medfiy mass production for use in SIT programs are medfiy eggs which may be processed for other purposes, such as the production of an alternative diet for minute pirate bugs and other beneficial insects.

Thus it is a long felt need in the field of plant protection in agriculture to provide a cost effective and nutritionally-suitable alternative or factitious diet for BCAs mass-reared for commercial use. The present invention solves many of these problems by introducing a new method of processing insect eggs, especially those of the fruit fly, which may be derived as an SIT by-product or produced especially for the purpose, suitable for feeding beneficial insects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of insect diets and more particularly to an insect diet suitable for rearing insect biological control agents, essentially derived from medfiy insect eggs produced especially for the purpose or as a by-product of insect control such as sterile insect technique. More specifically the present invention discloses a method of preparing such an insect diet.

It is one object of the present invention to disclose a system of rearing insect biological control agents (BCAs) that comprises nutrients provided to the BCAs, the nutrients being essentially derived from Processed Insect Eggs (PIE). It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system of rearing BCAs in which the processed insect eggs are derived from medfly eggs as a by-product of medfly mass-production for use in sterile insect technique. It is also in the scope of the present invention that the insect eggs are derived from medfly or other insects specifically reared for the purpose.

It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system of rearing BCAs in which the insect eggs of the alternative insect diet are derived from any Tephritid species, particularly the olive fly and the medfly.

It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system of rearing insect BCA's such that the nutrients are provided by PIE in combination with other nutrients.

It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system of rearing insect BCA's such that the nutrients are provided by PIE in combination with insect BCA nutrients such as Artemia eggs and Ephestia kuehniella eggs. It is also a preferred embodiment to disclose a system of rearing insect BCA's in which the other nutrients are provided by at least one other different insect species eggs that have undergone the PIE processing system.

In another aspect of the present invention a mixture of PIE and at least one other insect diet is disclosed, such that at least one other insect diet comprises between about 5% and about 50% of the diet supplied to the BCA.

In another aspect of the present invention a system is disclosed that is useful for providing nutrients to insect BCAs, wherein the BCAs are selected from the order Hemiptera. It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to insect BCA's selected from the family Miridae. It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to insect BCA's selected from the genus Nesidiocoris comprising Mirid bugs {Nesidiocoris tenuis) and Nesidiocoris spp., or any combination thereof. It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to insect BCA's selected from the family Anthocoridae. It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to insect BCA's selected from the genus Orius, comprising minute pirate bugs Orius laevigatus, Orius insidiosus, Orius spp., or any combination thereof. It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to insect BCA's selected from the family Lygaeidae. It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to insect BCA's selected from the genus Geocoris comprising big-eyed bugs, Geocoris spp., or any combination thereof.

It is also a preferred embodiment of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to insect BCAs selected from the order Coleoptera. It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to insect BCA's selected from the family Coccinellidae. It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to insect BCA's selected from the genus Cryptolaemus, comprising the mealybug predator, the lady beetle {Cryptolaemus montrouzierϊ), Cryptolaemus spp., or any combination thereof.

It is also a preferred embodiment of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to insect BCAs selected from the order Neuroptera. It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to insect BCA's selected from the family Chrysopidae. It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to insect BCA's selected from the genus Chrysoperla comprising the green lacewing, Chrysoperla spp. , or any combination thereof.

It is also a preferred embodiment of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to non-insect BCAs of the Arachnida class selected from the order Mesostigmata of predatory mites. It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to non-insect BCAs of the Arachnida class selected from the family Phytoseiidae.

It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to non-insect BCAs of the Arachnida class selected from the genus Amblyseius; comprising the predatory mites Amblyseius swirskii and Amblyseius spp., or any combination thereof.

It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to non-insect BCAs of the Arachnida class selected from the genus Phytoseiulus comprising the predatory mites Phytoseiulus persimilis, Phytoseiulus longipes and Phytoseiulus spp., or any combination thereof.

It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a system useful for providing nutrients to non-insect BCAs of the Arachnida class selected from the genus Euseius comprising the predatory mites Euseius scutalis and Euseius spp., or any combination thereof It is one object of the present invention to disclose a PIE produced BCA, wherein the gut contents of the BCA's raised on PIE are substantially different to those of BCA's raised on other BCA diet.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention a factitious diet composition comprising PIE is disclosed; the PIE having been dehydrated, mixed with anti-caking agent and stored until use under appropriate conditions of below 0°C. In this embodiment the PIE is suitable for providing nutrients for another different biological control agent and furthermore the PIE are derived from an egg supply comprising egg by-products of insect control programs, for example sterile insect technique in medfly.

In another aspect of the present invention a method of dehydrating insect eggs useful for providing a factitious insect diet is disclosed, comprising the steps of; collecting and storing eggs under aqueous conditions, determining the volume of eggs collected, separating out a solid phase containing the insect eggs, combining the separated insect eggs with a granular desiccant, mixing the desiccant and the eggs such that an intermediate product is provided containing the insect eggs in a non-sticky, non-aggregated formulation.

It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a method of providing an intermediate product of insect eggs, comprising the steps of; storing collected eggs under aqueous conditions in a refrigerator, determining the volume of eggs by transferring the eggs to a measuring container and removing excess water, dewatering by centrifugation sufficient for separating out a solid phase containing the insect eggs from the aqueous phase, combining separated insect eggs with a granular desiccant, for example fresh rice, at a rate of approximately 2.5 times the known volume of insect eggs, mixing the desiccant with the insect eggs in a mechanical mixer, with additional manual force for between about 15 to 20 minutes, such that an intermediate product is provided containing the insect eggs in a non-sticky, non-aggregated formulation.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a method of separating desiccated insect eggs from an intermediate product is disclosed, comprising the steps of; placing the intermediate product in a filtration machine, collecting the granular desiccant in one container, collecting the dehydrated insect eggs in another different container, such that dehydrated insect eggs are provided for the production of a factitious insect diet. In another aspect of the present invention a method of preparing PIE from desiccated insect eggs is disclosed comprising the steps of; determining the weight of desiccated insect eggs, coating the insect eggs with an anti-caking agent, mixing the anti-caking agent with the insect eggs to provide a uniform mixture, such that the mixture is useful for providing a factitious insect diet for insect BCAs.

It is also in the scope of the present invention to disclose a method of preparing PIE comprising the steps of; weighing the desiccated insect eggs, coating the insect eggs with an anti-caking agent, more particularly rice flour, at a rate of between about 5% to 8% of the desiccated eggs' weight, mixing the rice flour with the desiccated insect eggs, to provide a uniform mixture, such that the mixture is useful for providing a factitious insect diet for insect BCAs.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention a method of storing PIE is disclosed, comprising the steps of bagging the PIE into sachets, welding the sachets to seal contents, quick freezing the sachets and contents in a Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) freezer, transferring the sachets to a standard freezer, such that the packaged and frozen PIE provided maintains its nutritional attributes and freshness for a period of not less than one year.

It is yet another object of the present invention to disclose a method of preparing and storing PIE, in all its preparation, desiccation, mixing and storage stages, such that all stages are carried out in a dehumidified environment of relative humidity between about 20% to about 40%.

In another aspect of the present invention a method of storing the PIE in a sachet is disclosed, in which the sachet comprises a high oxygen barrier film useful for maintaining the attributes and freshness of the PIE for a period of not less than one year. In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of freezing the PIE is disclosed in which IQF freezing is useful for maintaining the attributes and freshness of the PIE for a period of not less than one year. In another aspect of the present invention, a method is disclosed of preparing PIE suitable for distribution as a factitious insect diet for commercially reared BCAs.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a covered or packaged factitious insect diet is disclosed in covered or packaged form, comprising insect eggs and an anti-caking agent in a sachet, in which the covered or packaged factitious insect diet is effective for the commercial rearing of a BCA. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a flow chart illustrating the process of desiccating insect eggs in a first stage of preparation of a diet for beneficial insects; and

Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating the process of adding anti-caking products to the insect eggs and processing them in a second stage of preparation of a diet for beneficial insects; and

Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating the storage process in a third and final stage of preparation of a diet for beneficial insects; and

Figures 4A and 4B are graphs illustrating the number of Orius laevigatus individuals collected (A) and the percent mortality (B) in a given production unit under different feeding regimes; and

Figure 5 is a graph illustrating the percentage of O. laevigatus adults in each production unit under different feeding regimes; and

Figures 6A and 6B are graphs illustrating the fecundity (=egg laying capacity) of

O. laevigatus in different production units under different feeding regimes shown as the number of eggs per female (A) and the amount of offspring produced (B) in each production unit; and

Figure 7 is a graph illustrating the number of offspring produced per production unit under different feeding regimes; and

Figure 8 is a graph illustrating the amount of individual O. laevigatus bugs collected from different feeding regimens of 6 months long term storage; and

Figures 9A and B are graphs illustrating the no. of individual O. laevigatus bugs collected (A) and the percentage of adults collected (B) in mixed Ephestia kuehniella and medfly PIE diets and 8 month long term medfly PIE storage; and

Figure 10 is a pictorial illustration of E. kuehniella eggs before and after undergoing processing system and method to become PIE; and

Figures HA and B are graphs illustrating the number of adult O. laevigatus bugs collected (A) and the females' fecundity of O. laevigatus feeding upon processed

E. kuehniella eggs (B). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The term Processed Insect Eggs (PIE) herein refers to insect eggs that have undergone, in a non limiting manner, any or all or some of the following steps, subsequent to harvesting, such as desiccation or drying, dewatering, anti-caking, various methods of freezing, cooling, packaging, thickening, liquefying, separating, humidifying, rehydrating, mixing, thermally adjusting, warming, centrifuging, addition of any component or composition whatsoever at any stage. The steps may be administered in parallel, in series, contemporaneously or simultaneously.

Figure 1 illustrates a process of desiccating insect eggs as a first stage in the preparation of a diet for BCAs such as Orius laevigatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. In step 10 Medfly eggs or other suitable eggs are collected and stored under water in a refrigerator. In this embodiment the eggs may be a by-product of sterile insect technique or be specially prepared for the purpose of providing a factitious insect diet. In step 12, excess water is drained from the Medfly eggs and the eggs are allowed to settle at the bottom of a measuring jug for about 10 minutes. Once all the eggs have settled, the volume of eggs is ascertained in step 14 for future reference and the eggs are desiccated in an extractor by centrifugation for 7 seconds while being kept in a fine organdy cloth bag that enables the water to be drained out whereas the eggs stay inside.

In step 16, the insect eggs are further desiccated by mixing the insect eggs with fresh rice in the amount of 2.5 times the original volume of insect eggs. The insect eggs are then mixed together with the rice in step 18 for 15-20 minutes. In this step it is necessary to ensure that aggregates are not formed in the mixture by setting the mixer to its optimal operation. Care should be taken in this step that the mixture does not become sticky.

In step 20, the egg and rice mixture is sifted and separated for example by a filtration machine, or by gusts of air that separate particles according to weight, or indeed by any other method that is capable of separating the components of the mixture. In this step the egg and rice mixture may be passed through the filtration machine or other separation method more than once to ensure complete separation of the dehydrated insect eggs from the rice. The insect eggs and rice are collected into separate containers such that in step 22 the sifted rice is desiccated and may be reused up to four times for the purpose of dehydrating the insect eggs. The sifted insect eggs are collected in step 24 into a container and weighed in preparation for adding the anti-caking agent.

Figure 2 illustrates the process of adding anti-caking products to the insect eggs in a second stage of processing them for distribution as a diet for BCAs. In step 26 the desiccated and weighed insect eggs are mixed with anti-caking rice flour at a rate of 5%-8% by weight of the dried insect eggs. Care should be taken at this step to minimize processing time to prevent crystallization and solidification of the eggs. The rice flour and insect eggs are mixed thoroughly in step 28 manually or by transferring them from container to container or alternatively by mechanical mixing by a machine, to complete the preparation of the insect diet. In step 30, the prepared insect diet is ready to be weighed out into the appropriate portions and packaged.

Figure 3 illustrates the third and final stage of preparation of the insect diet in which in step 32, the processed insect diet is divided into sachets made of a high oxygen barrier film. In this step the insect diet may be divided into sachets of equal weight, for example each sachet containing 25Og of prepared diet. In a preferred embodiment the high oxygen barrier film is important in maintaining the freshness of the insect diet enabling use of the diet up to one year after preparation. The sachets are then sealed by heat welding. In another preferred embodiment, in step 34 the packaged insect diet is placed in a quick freeze, a process named Individually Quick Frozen (IQF), for 1-3 hours for example, making sure that the sachets are well separated to ensure thorough and even freezing of the contents. The rapid freezing of the insect diet further maintains the freshness of the insect diet and in combination with the high oxygen barrier film sachet, maintains the high quality of the insect diet for at least one year. In step 36 the sachets of the insect diet are stored in a regular freezer, at for example -18°C, for long-term storage. In step 38 the insect diet is distributed under cooled conditions to users that commercially mass rear BCAs.

It is yet another embodiment of the present invention that a dehumidifying system is provided at all the processing and desiccation stages of the PIE preparation system. Thus for example in this embodiment, a supply of dry wind is provided at the mixing stage of the preparation. In addition or alternatively, a dehumidifier is provided at all the stages to provide a level of about 20-40% relative humidity. It is yet another embodiment of the present invention that the PIE of the present invention comprises at least one type of insect egg that has undergone the aforementioned processing steps, either alone or in combination with other insect egg species that have undergone the same processing steps. Also in this embodiment the PIE is in combination with insect eggs that are unprocessed or have undergone different preparations, for example Ephestia kuehniella eggs. Also in this embodiment the PIE is combined with eggs derived from other species, for example the eggs of crustaceans such as the brine shrimp- Artemia.

It is yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention that the medfly PIE diet and other PIE diets are adaptable to use with a variety of insect BCA species. In this embodiment the PIE can be used to feed insect BCAs selected from but not limited to the group of insect orders including; Hemiptera, Neuroptera and Coleoptera. Examples of Hemiptera are insects belonging to the Miridae family (e.g. the mirid bug - Nesidiocoris tenius), to the Anthocoridae family (e.g the minute pirate bug - Orius laevigatus) and to the Lygaeidae family (e.g. big-eyed bugs- Geocortis spp). Insects belonging to the Coleoptera order include those belonging to the Coccinellidae family (e.g. the mealybug destroyer also known as the mealybug ladybeetle- Cryptolaemus montrouszieri. Other BCA species normally fed on a diet of E. kuehniella eggs such as the Chrysopidae family of the Neuroptera order (e.g. the lacewing- Chrysoperla spp.) are also included in this embodiment.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the PIE diet is adaptable for rearing systems of non-insect BCA's. In this embodiment PIE can be used to feed non-insect BCA's from the Arachnida class. In this embodiment the PIE diet is useful for feeding predatory mites from the order of Mesostigmata. Examples of Mesostigmata are predatory mites belonging to the Phytoseiidae family, such as those in the genus Amblyseius (e.g. Amblyseius swirskii and Amblyseius spp.), predatory mites belonging to the genus Phytoseiulus (e.g. the Phytoseiulus persimilis, Phytoseiulus longipes and Phytoseiulus spp.) and predatory mites belonging to the genus Euseius (e.g. Euseius scutalis and Euseius spp.). In another preferred embodiment of the present invention an assessment of the gut contents of the BCA's characterizes those fed on the novel PIE diet of the present invention. In this embodiment a chemical breakdown of the gut contents of a BCA fed on PIE is significantly different to that of a BCA fed on other type of BCA diet.

The following examples are intended to further illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. A model system was used wherein the beneficial insect Orius laevigatus (minute pirate bug) was supplied with eggs of Ephestia kuhniella in a control diet and compared to the new diet. In other examples, the medfly PIE diet or a mixed diet was supplied to O. laevigatus and to other BCA insect species.

EXAMPLE 1

In a bifactorial experiment the amount of food presented (high/low) and the food type (new E. kuhniella eggs/new medfly eggs/4 months old medfly eggs) were compared by feeding young bugs, with each regime being replicated 3 times. Each production unit of 35000 O. laevigatus nymphs was fed with one of the above diets. At the end of nymphal development the following parameters were assessed: total number of bugs, % adults and % mortality. Figure 3 A, shows the amount of individual O. laevigatus bugs harvested from different feeding regimes, illustrating that in all types of diet the amount of bugs produced decreases when fed relatively low amounts of food, but was essentially similar between the different kinds of food. Figure 3B illustrates that the percentage mortality is similar in all the different regimes. Figure 4 illustrates that the percentage of adults in the population was lower in production units fed low amounts of food compared to the higher amount, particularly so in the case of production units fed low quantities of 4 months old medfly eggs compared to low quantities of new E. kuhniella eggs. Furthermore, the effect of juvenile diet on storage of O. laevigatus as adults was tested by storing 90000 bugs for 2 weeks and was found to have no influence.

To test for the effect of juvenile diet on the bugs' fecundity, 20 couples of adult bugs obtained from each feeding regime were used for assessing fecundity in individual arenas. Additionally, one industrial egg-laying unit was established from each feeding regime and the total amount of offspring produced was assessed. No significant differences were found between the different regimes in the amount of eggs deposited by a single female (Figure 5A), although females that were reared on medfly eggs laid slightly more eggs than females reared on E. kuhniella eggs. In the industrial egg-laying units (Figure 5B) offspring production was similar between the different regimes regardless of the juvenile diet used.

EXAMPLE 2

In a second test, juvenile O. laevigatus were reared with either medfly or E. kuhniella eggs. Upon reaching adulthood industrial egg-laying units were established in which the adult bugs received the same diets as they had as juveniles. It was found that industrial production units produced similar amounts of offspring regardless of juvenile and adult diet (Figure 6).

The diet of the invention produced similar quantities of adults, with similar rates of mortality and fecundity compared to the control E. kuhniella diet, commonly used in commercial mass rearing of BCAs.

Although the medfly eggs diet gave similar results to E. kuhniella eggs diet with respect to number of O. laevigatus adults produced, their mortality rate and fecundity (Figure 7), the medfly eggs diet is 35-50% cheaper than a diet based on E. kuhniella eggs. Furthermore, the storability of the medfly egg diet is double than that of E. kuhniella egg diet.

EXAMPLE 3

In a further test, the results of long-term storage on the PIE was assessed in a bifactorial experiment. As in Example 1, fresh E. kuhniella and fresh medfly PIE eggs were compared in high and low amounts with medfly PIE that had been stored for 6 months. In each treatment approximately 38000 O. laevigatus nymphs were fed and each treatment was replicated 5 times. At the end of the experiment the number of bugs harvested was assessed. Figure 8 A shows that the number of bugs collected was significantly less when fed a low amount of food but that there was no significant difference between the different diets themselves. Thus long- term storage of the PIE for 6 months does not alter its effectiveness as an insect diet for O. laevigatus. EXAMPLE 4

In this example, the result of long-term storage on the PIE was assessed in a bifactorial experiment. Fresh E. kuhniella eggs were compared in high and low amounts with medfiy PIE that had been stored for 8 months. In addition to the E. kuhniella and medfiy eggs treatment, a treatment was added in which a mixture of the two diets in a ratio of 30% E. kuhniella and 70% medfiy eggs was offered. In each treatment approximately 38000 O. laevigatus nymphs were fed and each treatment was replicated 5 times. At the end of the experiment the following parameters were assessed; the number of bugs, % of adults, and % mortality. Figure 9A shows that the number of bugs collected was significantly less when fed a low amount of food but that there was no significant difference between the different diets themselves. Thus long-term storage of the PIE for 8 months does not alter its effectiveness as an insect diet for O. laevigatus. Moreover, the novel PIE can be mixed in or incorporated with known insect diets to provide an effective diet for BCA's such as O. laevigatus.

Mortality rates were negligible in all treatments. Figure 9B illustrates that the percentage of adults was lower for the medfiy PIE diet compared with the E. kuhniella,diet and intermediate for the mixed diet.

EXAMPLE 5

In the standard mass production of E. kuehniella eggs, the final product is contaminated with residues of moth adult's scales. Removal of the scales from the eggs may yield a cleaner product and a higher quality food source for predatory arthropods. In an attempt to clean E. kuehniella eggs from the scales, eggs were washed with tap water. The moth's scales easily dropped from the eggs and while the eggs sank in the water the scales floated and could easily be removed from the surface of the water. In order to dehydrate the washed E. kuehniella eggs, the method of processing Medfiy eggs to PIE was implemented, including: water extraction, desiccation by mixing with rice, sifting from the rice, powdering with anti-caking, bagging and quick freezing. Reference is now made to Figure 10 in the drawings, a pictorial illustration of the visual differences between E. kuehniella eggs before processing 40 and after undergoing the PIE processing system 50. In order to examine the suitability of processed E. kuehniella eggs as a food source for predatory bugs, O. laevigatus eggs were distributed into 10 small containers. In 5 containers (=replicates) the hatched Orius nymphs were fed with processed E. kuehniella eggs and in the other 5 containers nymphs were fed with unprocessed E. kuehniella eggs (control). Figure 1 IA graphically illustrates that in both treatments there was good development and a similar number of adults was obtained. Figure HB graphically illustrates that females O. laevigatus fed as nymphs with processed E. kuehniella eggs, performed a normal oviposition curve in a fecundity test.

EXAMPLE 6

In this example the Mirid bug (N. tenius) was raised on medfly PIE and compared to Mirid bugs raised on E. kuhniella eggs. Couples of N. tenuis were placed separately in a ventilated arena on sweet pepper leaf disc on agar (N=5) and were provided with medfly PIE or E. kuhniella eggs. In both treatments the same fecundity was recorded (ca. 60 eggs per female) with no significant difference. N. tenuis in a mass rearing system were successfully fed with a range of diets, including medfly PIE, E. kuhniella eggs, as well as a "mix" of medfly PIE with E. kuhniella eggs at a ratio of 1 :1. The fecundity, fertility, and survival of the N. tenuis were found to be as good with medfly PIE and the mixed diet as with rearing on E. kuhniella eggs only.

EXAMPLE 7

Adult survival of the ladybeetle (C montrouszierϊ) on the medfly PIE diet was measured. Couples of C. montrouzieri were placed in a ventilated arena (N= 12) with medfly PIE, using citrus mealybug eggs and larvae as a control diet. Both treatments showed a survival rate of over 85% after one month.

It is understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that modifications and variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.