Christos I. Rumbos

Verified

Christos verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

Learn more

Verified

Christos verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

Learn more

• PhD
• Assistant Professor at University of Patras

Simple Summary Insects have recently attracted considerable scientific and commercial interest as an alternative nutrient source. Agricultural wastes is a big, often untapped, pool of nutrients which could be used for insect rearing. Insects can actually feed on these byproducts, converting these low-cost materials to insect protein that will be fu...

We evaluated the suitability of forty-four commodities (i.e., cereal flours and meals, non-flour, cereal commodities, legumes and various commodities of vegetative and animal origin) as oviposition and feeding substrates for the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor. Τen T. molitor adults were introduced in plastic vials containing 30 g of each commodi...

Insect meal is a new agricultural commodity that will be produced in huge quantities in the near future and will be treated as all traditional agricultural commodities, i.e., insects will be harvested, processed, transported and stored. As most agricultural commodities, insect meals may be prone to insect infestations during their “post-harvest sta...

The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is one of the most common insect pests in commercial poultry farms, where it reproduces within the litter floor, feeding on poultry manure, spilled feed and other organic material. It can also infest, feed and reproduce on stored grains and related amylaceous commodit...

The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), is a serious pest, but at the same time has been authorized in European Union (EU) for feed in aquaculture. In this study, we investigated, in laboratory bioassays, the population growth of this species, on a wide variety of commodities. In four series of bioassays, we studied the development of...

The information on the production and reproduction of Tenebrio molitor and Hermetia illucens is essential for researchers pursuing a career in insect farming for food, feed and non-food applications. Rather than requiring researchers to sift through numerous studies to develop effective rearing protocols to maintain a stock population for experimen...

This study evaluated the dietary fishmeal substitution by full-fat (FF) and defatted (DF) Zophobas morio meals regarding growth, feed efficiency, proximate and fatty acid compositions, digestive enzymes activities, histology and midgut microbiota in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). Juveniles initially weighing 3.4 g were distributed to triplicate...

The rapid expansion of insect farming as a sustainable approach for protein production has led to an accumulation of published research on the use of low-value substrates as insect feed. However, compared to conventional livestock, there is a lack of fundamental knowledge about the nutritional physiology and requirements of insects. Such knowledge...

During the last decade, mini-livestock has gained much attention as alternative nutrient sources for food and feed applications. The optimal feeding substrate for many edible insect species has been thoroughly studied. However, the biology of Zophobas morio (F.) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) has not been fully investigated, resulting in a gap in its...

Insect frass is a promising organic fertiliser and soil enhancer, emerging as a valuable tool for sustainable agriculture. Recent research shows it not only improves soil health, but also promotes plant health by activating immune responses, thanks to beneficial microorganisms and bioactive compounds like chitin. This helps crops become more resili...

Different inert materials have been tested as grain protectants against stored-product mites with variable results. Most of the studies are focused on the efficacy of diatomaceous earth, but there are few comparable data on other types of inert dust. In this study, we have tested two inert materials, zeolite and kaolin, against the cheese mite Tyro...

The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), has been authorized for food and feed applications but has received limited attention. Effective mass-rearing of this insect requires both dry and wet feed for moisture. While vegetables are often used as wet feeds, their variability in nutrients, fast spoilage, and pesticide residues make alter...

Over the past decade, insect farming has garnered significant scientific and commercial attention due to its potential as a sustainable and efficient alternative nutrient source for both animal feed [...]

Stored-product mites are important pests of stored products, while their presence in storage and processing facilities has a significant effect on public health. On the other hand, inert materials are promising alternatives to conventional pesticides in stored product protection and have provided very good results against storage insects. These for...

Over the years, the study of adult sex ratio is a topic that has gained attention for its impact on reproductive outcomes and aging across various insect species. However, there is still limited research focused on insects reared for food and feed production. To address this gap, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of different adult sex ratios...

The insect species Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is a stored-product pest which tend to infest a variety of durable agricultural commodities, mostly oriented toward cereals and related amylaceous substrates of low humidity. Thus, the past few years, research on T. molitor has been focused on its biology, ecology, and control metho...

Interest in the nutrition of the yellow mealworm ( Tenebrio molitor L.) larvae is on the rise, leading to an increase in publications on this topic. The absence of a standard protocol and resulting differences in experimental designs reduces comparability among studies and impedes research on mealworm nutrition. To address this, a consensus standar...

The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), is a promising species for mass production due to its potential as a nutritious source for feed and food. Nonetheless, there is still plenty of room for improvement regarding its production. For instance, traditional livestock animal production typically involves the utilization of strains or br...

Black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens , is one of the most explored insect species mass-produced for feed, but also for food and technical purposes. Considering the rapid developments in both research and industrial production of this insect species in the last decade, this review intends to reflect on the most current scientific insights and...

Common sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus L.) and bristly oxtongue [Helminthotheca echioides (L.) Holub] are winter broad-leaved weeds that have gained interest for cultivation as leafy vegetables. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of frass from the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) on nutrient content in soil, growth parameters, and...

Insects are part of the natural diet of fish and poultry species and to a lesser extent of pigs, dogs and cats. In traditional farming, poultry gather their food in a free roaming manner, and insects are part of the diet. Similarly, a large fraction of the diet of freshwater fish consists of aquatic insects. These features are exploited by farmers...

The lesser mealworm has been authorized in the European Union as a source of food and feed protein. Yet, there are still several variables that could be optimized to increase the profitability of its mass rearing. A series of laboratory bioassays was performed to examine certain parameters that significantly affect the development of this species....

The effect of the particle size of the feed on the larval growth and feed utilization parameters of two mealworm species, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) and Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), was examined under laboratory conditions. Wheat bran of four different particle sizes (100–250, 500–650, 850–1000 and >2000 μm) was provided as...

Recently, much research has been oriented towards the influence of different food wastes and agricultural by-products on the final larval biomass and chemical composition of the insect species Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae). However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the possible relationship between the feeding substrate of...

In pursuit of sustainable protein sources, the agricultural sector and emerging edible insect industry intersect in the valorization of agricultural by-products. Establishing a mutually beneficial relationship involves utilizing agricultural by-products as feeding substrates for insect farming, potentially enhancing the sustainability of both secto...

Simple Summary Natural insecticides are currently given high priority in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) protocols. To this end, diatomaceous earth (DE) has gained a lot of attention as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional insecticides that can successfully repel and control a diverse variety of the most important stored-product...

The increasing demands for resources driven by the global population necessitate exploring sustainable alternatives for affordable animal protein over the use of traditional protein sources. Insects, with their high protein content, offer a promising solution, especially when reared on agricultural post-distillation residues for enhanced sustainabi...

Amidst the escalating global demand for protein-rich livestock feed, there’s an urgent call to explore innovative alternatives. Insects, renowned for their rich protein, lipid, and nutrient profiles, offer a sustainable solution. Integrating agricultural waste into insect diets emerges as a promising strategy to alleviate rearing costs. However, la...

The impact of trap type and height on the captures of adults of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), was assessed in cotton fields in three experimental sites (Nikaia, Nees Karyes, and Koilada) in Central Greece. Initially, the effectiveness of three different traps (white Delta, red Delta, and green Fu...

As the industrial insect production sector is rapidly growing, the high production cost of insects forms a constraint for the further growth of the insect industry. One of the main factors that greatly contributes to the total insect production cost and affects the profitability of insect farms is feed costs. Various agricultural by-products have b...

The increasing global population has led to high food demand and the interest for alternative resources is highly topical. The interest in utilizing insects as a source of food and feed has been rapidly increasing, as the on-growing population has made the need for protein even more demanding. Insect rearing is economically viable, since they can b...

Insects receive increasing attention as an alternative source of protein for animals and humans, and thus, the production of low-cost insects for meeting the dietary demand on sustained basis is an ever-growing concept. This study aims to design dietswith locally available agricultural byproducts from Greece as feed for larvae of the yellow mealwor...

Insect production has attracted a lot of scientific and business interest during the last decade. Insects are a well-promising nutrient source for food and feed, whereas they have a great exploitation potential in industrial and technological applications, e.g., cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, or bioplastics. As in most traditional livestock production...

Understanding the concept of larval density scaling in mealworm farming enables us to analyze and compare the growth patterns of these species and their overall productivity in terms of produced insect biomass. This paper explores the impact of larval density on the development of the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Te...

Increasingly Tenebrio molitor larvae feeds are being researched in order to increase their nutritional value and be a valuable ingredient in the human diet. Therefore, in this study, Moringa oleifera leaves were used in different proportions (up to 50%) to substitute wheat bran in order to evaluate their composition in crude protein, fat, ash, vita...

Rice is one of the most important foods since it is grown in many countries and consumed by the majority of the population. Ensuring food security through the protection of stored-product commodities has become one of the most important priorities worldwide. In this study, the effects of three insecticidal formulations and an available diatomaceous...

The commercial accessibility of insect biomass for food and feed necessitates a systematic examination of the various factors that can potentially hinder the efficiency of insect farming. This study focuses on identifying the optimal thermal requirements for the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), an edible insect species of particula...

To meet the increased future needs in insect Processed Animal Proteins PAPs, insect sector has to optimize the mass rearing of insects. That being the case, a means to tackle this growing demand for insects is to invest in breeding strategies aiming for the production of hybrids with improved economically and biologically valuable traits. In this f...

Among edible insects, mealworms have attracted a lot of scientific and commercial attention as a nutrient source in food and feed during the last decade. However, the main focus has been on the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor , which undisputedly possesses numerous advantages that render it ideal for mass production. Apart from the yellow mealwor...

Commercial availability of insect biomass for food and feed calls for the methodical investigation of all the complications that can deteriorate the insect farming efficiency. An appropriate stocking density is thus instrumental for the establishment of sustainable and cost effective insect farming protocols; high densities may lead to reduced inse...

Soils naturally low in organic matter need to be amended with recycled organic materials that would boost soil health. In this work, we tested insect frass, the excrements of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor , as a novel organic soil amendment in a spinach cultivation. In a 60-day pot experiment with spinach ( Spinacia oleracea ), we added fra...

The fast-growing sector of insects for food and feed stimulates researchers and the industry to explore uncharted territories, such as insect breeding, to improve economically important insect fitness traits. The yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L., is one of the most thoroughly studied insect species as food and feed. However, data on mating comp...

One of the most destructive insect species for stored maize is the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus. Its control is challenging, as it seems to have a natural tolerance to active ingredients that are effective for other stored-product insect species that cause infestations in maize. The objective of the present study was to comparatively...

Simple Summary Inert dusts are promising alternatives to conventional insecticides against numerous stored-product insect species. Diatomaceous earth formulations are based on natural substances and are registered for direct application on grain in many parts of the world. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of three diato...

As the world’s population grows, the needs for feeding it follow the same path. Considering these conditions, ensuring the quantity and quality of raw materials, such as cereals, seems imperative. Stored product insects are responsible for significant losses in the post-harvest stages of agricultural products and the available chemical methods for...

Nowadays, more and more research is being carried out on various feeds of Tenebrio molitor larvae, in order to increase their nutritional value and render them a valuable component of the human diet. In this study, Moringa oleifera leaves were used in different proportions (up to 50%) to substitute wheat bran (the usually employed feed), in order t...

Simple Summary Nitrogen treatment is a promising method for controlling stored product insects. It is based on the alternation of the oxygen level in the atmosphere (lower than 3%), which can be lethal to insects. In the present study, we tested nitrogen treatment (>99%) on a commercial scale to control major stored product insects such as Sitophil...

The projections for the production of insects as food and feed show an enormous increase for insect production in the near future, which will subsequently lead to the increase of the stored quantities of insect meals and related products. However, information on the susceptibility of insect meals to infestations by stored-product insects is rather...

Pheromone-baited traps have been widely used for the monitoring of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in order to time any control measures during the growing season. Different monitoring techniques may provide differential results regarding adult captures. However, studies on the comparative evaluation of...

Chitin and chitosan are biopolymers that are frequently found in nature and have a broad range of applications in the food, biomedical and industrial sectors, due to their high biological activity. The primary source of chitin and chitosan is shellfish, however, shortages in the supply chain, seasonality issues in their availability, as well as eco...

The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is an important pest of stored products and at the same time a species with great potential as food and feed that has recently attracted increasing interest as nutrient source. Future predictions show a massive increase of insect meals' production in the near future,...

Lately, additional attention is being placed on edible insects, since they constitute an excellent, cost-efficient source of proteins with a low ecological footprint. Tenebrio molitor was the first insect that was considered edible by EFSA in 2021. This species can replace conventional protein sources and thus, it has the potential to be used in ma...

Carifend® is an alpha-cypermethrin-coated net that has been evaluated with success for the control of insects that infest stored tobacco. More recent data indicate that nets that contain insecticides can be further utilized against a wide range of stored-product insect species in different application scenarios. The aim of the current study was to...

Insect proteins are considered as suitable low environmental impact alternatives to fishmeal for sustainable aquafeeds. Among the different insect species, Hermetia illucens has attracted research and industrial interest due to its ability to grow well on organic side streams, its high protein content and favorable amino acid profiles. Its lipid co...

In the present study, we examined the insecticidal effect of Carifend® (BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany; 163.2 mg m⁻²), an alpha-cypermethrin-coated polyester net, as well as Carifend-like nets containing different rates of alpha-cypermethrin, specifically 10, 30, 80, and 325 mg m⁻², against two major stored tobacco insect pests, i.e., Lasioderma se...

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of 10 and 20% replacement of fishmeal (FM dietary group) with the superworm Zophobas morio larvae meal (ZM10 and ZM20 dietary groups) on the growth performance of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa) reared in aquaponics. Ninety juvenile sea bass with an average body...

Full-fat and defatted superworm Zophobas morio larvae meals were used in a feeding trial of 540 gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata, juveniles (3.4 g initial weight) in order to assess their immunomodulatory effects. Six isonitrogenous (52 %) and isoenergetic (21 MJ/Kg) diets were formulated where the fishmeal of the control diet was replaced by full-...

The role of insects in animal nutrition has been reconsidered during recent years, paving the way for an increasing market for edible insects. Their protein and amino acid balance make them a promising source of protein for replacing high value proteins. Yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L. (TM; Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae, have shown positiv...

Although the efficacy of diatomaceous earths (DEs) against most major stored product insects has been extensively evaluated, studies on the effect of DEs on the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, are rather limited. Apart from being a secondary colonizer of stored commodities, T. molitor is currently one of the most promising species reared to obta...

During the last decade, insects have shown up as a promising answer to the increasing animal protein demand for a continuously growing human population. A wide spectrum of substrates of plant origin can be currently used as insect feed; the sustainability of insect rearing though greatly increases when organic side-streams and wastes are valorized...

Insect diet impacts insect growth, therefore a lot of recent research has focused on the evaluation of alternative insect feeds. In the case of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L., the diet comprises of both a dry feed and a wet feed. The latter serves mainly as a moisture source, as it has been shown that moisture availability enhances larval...

Mass rearing of Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is currently at its infancy, looking for new strategies in order to ameliorate its capabilities. That being the case, several efforts have been made towards optimisation of rearing methods of the larval stages, while more recent research is also directed towards optimisation of the rep...

Edible insect production relies, among others, on the use of high-quality strains with good productivity characteristics. However, studies on the evaluation of the growth performance of different insect strains are limited. In this framework, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the growth and development under dry conditions of larva...

Organic side-streams and agricultural wastes represent a big pool of untapped and underrated resources which could be efficiently exploited for insect rearing. We evaluated the suitability of eleven agricultural by-products, stemming from the production of cotton, sugar beet, sunflower, barley, oats, peas and vetch, for the development of larvae of...

The effects of funnel-trap color, trap height and pheromone formulation on the adult captures of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were evaluated in traps that were suspended in cotton fields in central Greece. Briefly, in a first trial, the efficacy of funnel traps of three different colors, i.e., green, s...

The human population is rapidly growing, subsequently leading to an increase in food and protein demand. Therefore, alternative protein sources have to be evaluated as food and feed. Among the most promising alternative protein sources with significant advantages are insects. Nevertheless, insect rearing conditions have to be optimized prior to ins...

In the present study, the residual efficacy of an alpha-cypermethrin-coated net (Carifend®, BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany) was evaluated in laboratory studies against four species of stored product insects. The insecticide-treated net was fitted into the bottom of plastic petri dishes, whereas two other sets of dishes (without net, with net withou...

Much research has been directed towards the optimisation of the mass rearing of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, in terms of diet and rearing conditions. However, an issue that has not been thoroughly investigated to date is the strain effect on the larval growth and performance of T. molitor. To close this gap, the plasticity in growth and d...

Simple Summary Since 2017, insects can be used as ingredients in aquafeeds in the EU. However, insect-based aquafeeds are still not broadly accepted by European aquaculture companies. Understanding the beliefs of people associated with the aquaculture sector on the use of insect-based fish diets could assist their adoption. In the present study, we...

During the last decade the insect sector has witnessed a tremendous growth. A lot of scientific knowledge has been accumulated regarding insect production, processing and industrialisation. However, an issue that has been often overlooked is the management of insect pest infestations in insect production plants. Pyralid moths appear to be the most...

The objective of this special issue is to highlight the current state of research in the field of insects as food and feed, but also other aspects on the exploitation of insect farming. In this editorial, we make a short introduction of the topic of the special issue, briefly present the contributions that are collected in it and offer some thought...

The aim of this review is to compile up-to-date information on the superworm, Zophobas morio (F.), regarding its biology and ecology, but also its further potential for use as a nutrient source for food and feed. We illustrate certain basic characteristics of the morphology and bio-ecology of this species, which is marginally considered as a ‘pest’...

BACKGROUND The insecticidal efficacy of selected mosquito larvicides [teflubenzuron, S‐methoprene, diflubenzuron, temephos, Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)], applied alone or in combination, against two Culex pipiens biotypes, Cx. p. pipiens and Cx. p. molestus, was compared under laboratory and semi‐fi...

In the present study, the effectiveness of Carifend® (BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany), an alpha-cypermethrin-coated net, was evaluated in laboratory tests against major stored-product insects. The insecticide-treated net was adjusted at the bottom of plastic petri dishes, and adult insects were placed in each dish and exposed for different exposure...

In the present study, we investigated the residual insecticidal efficacy of a commercial cypermethrin formulation applied on grains (wheat, maize) against adults of Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) and Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) in laboratory bioassays. The insecticide was applied in its label dos...

Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis and Schiffermüller) is a severe defoliator of various species of Pinus and Cedrus, while the urticanting hairs produced by its larvae cause public health problems for humans and pets. In the present study, we report results of trials (from summer 2015 until winter 2017) of mating disruption for management of T. pityoc...

In the present study, the larvicidal activity of ageing aqueous suspensions of spinosad against larvae of Culex pipiens biotype molestus, as well as their effect on the oviposition preferences of adult gravid females were evaluated in laboratory bioassays. Spinosad was applied at its label dose and the aqueous stock suspensions were stored for vari...

In the present study, Carifend® an alpha-cypermethrin-coated net, was evaluated for the control of Lasioderma serricorne and Ephestia elutella in semi-field and field tests in two storage facilities. In the semi-field tests, three Carifend® Multi-Cubicles (CMCs), within which one carton box filled with tobacco was placed, were suspended in three se...

In the present study, we investigated the insecticidal efficacy of a commercial binary combination of two pyrethroids, cyphenothrin and prallethrin, as structural treatment against adults of Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val and Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) in laboratory bioassays. In a fir...

In the present work, a lethality index was applied for the evaluation of three insecticides with different modes of action, i.e., thiamethoxam, chlorfenapyr and lambda-cyhalothrin, as surface treatment against adults of Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) and Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val, in laboratory bioassays. The insec...

The mould mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Sarcoptiformes: Acaridae) and the flour mite, Acarus siro L. (Sarcoptiformes: Acaridae) are very common stored-product mites found in a wide spectrum of commodities of both plant and animal origin. In this study, we evaluated three zeolite formulations as stored-wheat protectants regarding the man...

The term “emerging pest” has been used many times with different meanings in the pre-harvest, as well as in the post-harvest stages of agricultural production.

The use of insecticide-treated nets has lately attracted scientific interest for the management of mosquitoes and related species, as well as for crop pest control and the protection of stored agricultural commodities. In our study, the effect of Carifend®, an alpha-cypermethrin-coated polyester net, on adults of the two most important stored-tobac...

The persistence and residual efficacy of two pirimiphos-methyl formulations [emulsifiable concentrate (EC) and capsule suspension (CS)] on wheat were evaluated in laboratory bioassays against adults of Sitophilus granarius, Rhyzopertha dominica and Tribolium confusum. Pirimiphos-methyl was applied at two doses, 2 and 4 mg kg⁻¹, on wheat and a bioas...