Chrysantus Tanga

• PhD
• Senior Scientist. Head of Insects for Food Feed and Other Uses Programmme at International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology

The rising global demand for protein, driven by population growth, urbanization, economic development, and climate change, underscores the need for sustainable alternative protein sources. Edible insects have emerged as a viable solution to enhance foodfeed and nutritional security while contributing to waste management. This study reviews 128 peer...

Potato production is hindered by soil degradation and nematode infestation. Mineral fertilizers and synthetic nematicides are costly and cause negative impacts on humans and the environment, while organic fertilizers are less effective for soil health and nematode management. This study demonstrates the contribution of black soldier fly frass ferti...

With significant concerns about the environmental impact of conventional crop and livestock production, there is a growing interest in utilising novel alternative sources of protein in both human and animal diets. Insects have long been consumed by an array of species, such as birds, fish and mammals, including humans. Insects as alternative source...

Organic fertilizers have been identified as a sustainable agricultural practice that can enhance productivity and reduce environmental impact. Recently, the European Union defined and accepted insect frass as an innovative and emerging organic fertilizer. In the wider domain of organic fertilizers, mathematical and computational models have been de...

Aquaculture plays a critical role in global food security, with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) recognized for its adaptability and robust growth. However, traditional feeds, heavily reliant on fishmeal (FM) and soybean meal, face economic and environmental challenges. In response, black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) has emerged as a promisi...

Microbial infections and excessive reactive oxygen species are the primary contributors to delays in wound healing with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as the common wound infection causing bacteria. In fact, wound management has become more challenging since most of these microbes have developed resistance agains...

Although, the impact of mulberry leaves on mortality of Bombyx mori [silkworm] and cocooning rates has been investigated, limited research has exploited the influence on the quality of B. mori pupae. This study evaluated the effects of four mulberry cultivars (Ichinose, Noi-EX-Thailand, Ex-Thika and Victory1) on the nutritional quality of B. mori p...

Due to their nutritional value, insects are increasingly proposed as alternative food sources to address nutritional deficiencies. To better understand their potential for young children, this study aims to compare four insect-based instant porridges (termites and grasshoppers) and a standard ’control’ instant porridge to examine how information ab...

This review examines the use of insect meal (IM) as a substitute for fishmeal (FM) in fish feeds within the past decade. While global interest in this alternative is growing, research on its effects on fish digestibility, blood parameters, and economic performance has been limited. Meta-analysis on the apparent digestibility coefficient revealed a...

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has been promoted in Kenya as a panacea for climate change impacts on agricultural productivity. Consequently, various climate-smart aquaculture technologies, innovations, and management practices (CSA-TIMPs) have been developed, validated, and adopted through the Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP). Neve...

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has been promoted in Kenya as a panacea for climate change impacts on agricultural productivity. Consequently, various climate-smart aquaculture technologies, innovations, and management practices (CSA-TIMPs) have been developed, validated, and adopted through the Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP). Neve...

Plastic waste has recently become a major global environmental concern and one of the biggest challenges has been seeking for alternative management options. Several studies have revealed the potential of several coleopteran species to degrade plastics, and this is the first research paper on plastic-degradation potential by lesser mealworms from A...

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing sector in agriculture. However, this increase is constrained by the high cost of fish feeds occasioned by scarcity of fish meal (FM) which is a main source of dietary protein in aquafeeds. This necessitates the need to consider alternative protein sources that are sustainable, cheap, available and highly nu...

Bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production is undermined by soil degradation and low biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) capacity. This study evaluated the effect of black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF) on bush bean growth, yield, nutrient uptake, BNF, and profitability, in comparison with commercial organic fertilizer (Phymyx, Phytomedia In...

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing sector in agriculture. However, this increase is constrained by the high cost of fish feeds occasioned by scarcity of fish meal (FM) which is a main source of dietary protein in aquafeeds. This necessitates the need to consider alternative protein sources that are sustainable, cheap, available and highly nu...

Edible scarab beetles are important repositories for nutritive and bioactive compounds, but this information remains largely unexplored. This study explored the nutritional and therapeutic properties of two edible scarab beetles from three different locations (Embu, Murang’a and Nairobi Counties) in Kenya. Morphological and molecular characterizati...

The utilization of yellow mealworm for food and animal feed is gaining interest globally. This study assessed the growth performance, survival rate, bioconversion rate and nutritional composition of mealworm larvae fed on wheat bran (WB) with different inclusion levels (25, 50, 75 and 100%) of potato waste (PW). The results indicated that mealworm...

Background Gut microbiota have several advantages in influencing the host nutrition, metabolism, immunity and growth. However, the understanding of the gut microbiota in key edible wood-boring beetle larvae remain largely undefined. In the present study, the characteristics of the gut microbiota of two edible wood-boring species (Titocerus jaspideu...

Compost fauna act by releasing various enzymes that break down organic matter into a stable, agriculturally useful products. Mesofauna are the least studied compared to micro- and macrofauna, with the existing studies relying on classical methods such as morphological identification, essentially leaving out cryptic taxa. We sought to evaluate the e...

The Insects for the Green Economy conference (IGEC) was held on 28–29 February 2024 at the African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD) at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Nairobi, Kenya. The theme of the conference was sustainable food systems and livelihoods in Africa, aiming to explore into the multifaceted r...

This study evaluated the effect of replacing fish meal (FM) with black soldier fly (Hermatia illucens) larvae meal (BSFLM) on growth performance and economic efficiency of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) production. The BSFLM replaced FM at 0, 25, 50 and 75% (T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively). One thousand two hundred (1,200) all-male Nile til...

Exploration of edible insects as sustainable alternative nutrient-dense sources such as nutraceuticals have attracted more and more global attention recently. However, research on wood borer beetles have largely been overlooked. This study assessed the entomo-chemical properties of Titoceres jaspideus (Cerambycidae) and Passalus punctiger (Passalid...

Crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) produce sounds as a natural means to communicate and convey various behaviors and activities, including mating, feeding, aggression, distress, and more. These vocalizations are intricately linked to prevailing environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. By accurately monitoring, identifying, and appropr...

Edible grasshopper, Ruspolia ruspolia, has nutritional and cherished cultural and economic importance to people from diverse cultures, particularly in over 20 African countries. It is consumed at home or commercially traded as sautéed, deep-fried, or boiled products. However, there is limited information on the hygiene practices of the vendors and...

Termites are widely distributed globally and serve as a valuable food source in many countries. However, information on the myriad nutritional benefits of processed termite products in African markets remain largely unexploited. This study evaluated the phytochemicals, fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, vitamins and proximate composition of the ed...

Insect meals have the potential to be used as a source of nutrients in aquafeeds due to their high nutritional profile and cost-effectiveness. The objective of this study was to elucidate the impact of black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) as a replacement for fish meal (FM) on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, L) growth performance, survival ra...

Gryllus bimaculatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) is widely considered an excellent nutrient source for food and feed. Despite its economic importance, there is limited information on the impact of temperature on the bionomics of this cricket to guide its effective and sustainable mass production in its geographical range. The biological parameters of G....

Entomocomposting is fast and environmentally friendly, boosts soil quality and crop production, and improves resilience to climate change. The black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) catalyze the composting process, but their efficiency is highly influenced by environmental factors and the quality of the substrate. This study employs response surface metho...

Natural products hold immense potential for drug discovery, yet many remain unexplored in vast libraries and databases. In an attempt to fill this gap and meet the growing demand for effective drugs, this study delves into the promising world of ent-kaurane diterpenoids, a class of natural products with huge therapeutic potential. With a dataset of...

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are serious pests of most food crops, causing up to 100% yield loss. Nevertheless, commercial nematicides are costly and harmful to the environment. While the nematicidal potential of crustacean and synthetic chitin has been demonstrated globally, research on the potential of insect-derived chitin for nematode...

The utilization of yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor (Linnaeus, Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), for food and feed is gaining interest globally. However, its production is hindered by expensive commercial diets. This study assessed mealworm growth performance, survival, bioconversion, and nutritional composition when fed on wheat bran (WB) with differen...

Entomophagy has recently gained impetus globally due to its environmental, health, and nutritional benefits. In many African communities, insects are wild harvested from environments with a risk of heavy metal pollution, yet the impact of metals on insect growth, nutritional quality, and safety for consumption is unknown. This study investigated t...

Potato production faces major challenges from inadequate soil fertility, and nematode infestation, yet synthetic fertilizers and nematicides are costly and harmful to the environment. This study explored the potential of chitin-fortified black soldier fly-composted organic fertilizer (BSFCOF) as a multipurpose organic fertilizer amendment for enhan...

Globally, antibiotics are facing fierce resistance from multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. There is an urgent need for eco-friendly alternatives. Though insects are important targets for antimicrobial peptides, it has received limited research attention. This study investigated the impact of waste substrates on the production of antibacterial a...

The prevailing global market demands locally produced, sustainable oils for biomedical applications. This study focused on evaluating the quality of cricket-derived oils and meals from Scapsipedus icipe Hugel, Tanga, and Gryllus bimaculatus De Geer common delicacy in Africa, following standard methods for physicochemical properties, fatty acid comp...

Bioconversion of livestock wastes using insect larvae represents an emerging and effective strategy for waste management. However, knowledge on the role of the garden fruit chafer (Pachnoda sinuata L.) in waste recycling and influence on the diversity of microbial community in frass fertilizer is limited. Here, we determined whether and to what ext...

Rising feed cost challenges due to expensive conventional protein sources continue to make headlines in Africa causing drops in profit margins. We assessed the impact of insect (Hermetia illucens Linnaeus larvae meal, HILM) protein as a substitute for soybean meal and sunflower seed cake on layer chicken performance and profitability. Our results s...

Utilization of quality aqua-feed relies heavily on fish meal sources of protein because of its nutritional balance. However, due to its limited supply, high cost, and decline of wild fish populations, aquaculture production has shifted focus to cheaper and more readily available alternatives to guarantee sustainable aquaculture productivity. Black...

Cabbage and Onion production in sub‑Saharan Africa face numerous pest constraints that needs to be overcome to feed the rapidly growing population. This study aimed to establish the occurrence, incidence, and severity of soil‑dwelling pests of cabbage and onions, and current management practices in five Counties of Kenya. Our findings revealed that...

Natural enemies are major challenges in laboratory rearing of grasshoppers, but the identity and virulence of these towards the edible long-horned grasshopper Ruspolia differens (Serville) is scarcely known. In this study, fungi and bacteria were isolated from R. differens collected from Mbarara, Masaka, Hoima, Kampala and Kabale districts in Ugand...

The nutritional value of larvae of the rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes sp., a popular delicacy and source of animal feed in western Kenya is unknown. This study aimed to determine the nutritional composition of Oryctes sp. larvae consumed in western Kenya and compare the nutrient values across four sampling counties i.e. Busia, Bungoma, Trans Nzoia and...

Wheat bread is among stable foods that are nutritionally imbalanced, thus enrichment is crucial. We evaluated the nutritional impact of high-valued wheat bread enriched with varying levels of meat powder from hen fed diet with insect (Hermetia illucens)-based meal. Crude protein and ash in bread increased with increasing inclusion of meat powder. L...

Edible insects are gaining traction worldwide for research and development. This review synthesizes a large and well-established body of research literature on the high nutritional value and variety of pharmacological properties of edible insects. Positive benefits of insect-derived products include immune enhancement; gastrointestinal protection;...

Black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF) has gained global prominence due to its potential to enhance soil health and crop production. However, there is limited knowledge about its performance on leguminous crops. This study evaluated the comparative effect of BSFFF and other commercial fertilizers on the growth, yield and profitability of bush b...

Globally, crickets are gaining recognition as a valuable alternative protein source for human consumption due to their lower resource requirement and ecological footprint compared to traditional livestock. In this paper, we examine strategies that may expedite the sustainable domestication of crickets as a food source. Using survey data from 306 ho...

Insects are being considered a sustainable protein food source for the future to forestall the impending world protein shortage, exacerbated by population growth and climate change. The edible grasshopper Ruspolia differens, a high protein insect traditionally consumed in East Africa- particularly in Central Uganda presents an opportunity for local...

Owing to its potential as an alternative source of protein, entomophagy (insect eating) has received substantial attention from researchers and development actors. However, despite its relatively high acceptance in some regions, such as western Kenya, there is a limited understanding of the factors that drive entomophagy. Therefore, we conducted a...

Rapid population and economic growth, increased health benefits of aquatic food, and changes in lifestyles and preferences as a result of rapid urbanization and globalization are all contributing to the rapid growth of aquaculture production in Kenya. Despite significant investment efforts from the national and devolved governments as well as donor...

The innovative use of insects to recycle low-value organic waste into value-added products such as food, feed and other products with a low ecological footprint has attracted rapid attention globally. The insect frass (a combination unconsumed substrate, faeces, and exuviae) contains substantial amounts of nutrients and beneficial microbes that cou...

Disgust and neophobia elicited by whole insect products, has necessitated the need to mask insect-based food products. The physico-chemical parameters, sensory acceptance, and willingness to pay (WTP) for wheat biscuits supplemented with cricket powder was evaluated. The biscuits' color intensity correlated with the cricket inclusion levels. Spread...

This research aims to advance knowledge on the impact of four processing methods on volatile compounds from insect-based baked products (cookies) to provide insights on consumer acceptance. Samples were exposed to double step enzyme digestive test, volatiles characterized through headspace analysis, while semi-trained panelists were recruited for t...

Edible insects are increasingly gaining popularity as research reveals multiple benefits. However, the rediscovery of natural products from insects as medicinal agents has received limited attention. This study aimed at evaluating the diversity of sterols in extracts of nine edible insects and potential antibacterial activities. Dichloromethane ext...

Data on the biotransfer of heavy metals along the soil-plant-edible insect-human food chain collected along a 60km pollution gradient is presented here. These datasets consists of concentrations of eight heavy metals (Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Chromium, Iron, Nickel, Lead and Zinc) in the soils, in five host plants species, and in seven edible inse...

Thermophilic composting is a promising soil and waste management approach involving diverse micro and macro-organisms, including eukaryotes. Due to sub-optimal amounts of nutrients in manure, supplemental feedstock materials such as Lantana camara, and Tithonia diversifolia twigs are used in composting. These materials have, however, been reported...

Effects of widescale locust control with insecticides on non-target edible insects have been scarcely assessed. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of spraying desert locust with cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos on: (1) termite mound activity; (2) safety of edible termites from contamination with pesticide residues; and (3) nutritiona...

Most previous studies evaluating agricultural technology adoption focus on estimating homogeneous average treatment effects across technology adopters. Understanding the heterogeneous effects and drivers of impact heterogeneity should enable interventions to be better targeted to maximise benefits. We apply machine learning using data from a random...

The tettigoniid, Ruspolia differens, is a widely consumed grasshopper across Sub Sahara Africa (SSA), mainly where periodic large swarms occur during the rainy months. The present wild harvesting of this grasshopper species is not sustainable and limits the yearlong presence of these delicacies. One method to circumvent this is developing mass-rear...

Edible bush crickets Ruspolia differens have received considerable interest in recent years primarily due to their widespread consumption across Sub Sahara Africa. Currently, these pseudo grasshoppers are only available in large quantities twice a year during the rainy seasons. Therefore, there is great research interest in studying their farming p...

Simple Summary In recent years, farming the black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomydiae) has gained popularity across the globe due to its usefulness mainly in animal feed production and waste management. The short cycle time taken to rear the BSF and the high protein content present in its larvae makes it a suitable sour...

We examined the socio-cultural practices on the use of beetle grubs as food and feed in western Kenya by interviewing 211 randomly selected households and conducting seven focus group discussions in Bungoma, Kakamega, Busia, and Trans Nzoia counties. The grubs were used as food and feed in ~ 39% and 78% of the households, respectively. The perceive...

Recently, interest in the black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) gut microbiome has received increased attention primarily due to their role in waste bioconversion. However, there is a lack of information on the positive effect on the activities of the gut microbiomes and enzymes (CAZyme families) acting on lignocellulose. In this study, BSFL were subject...

Abstract Ruspolia differens Serville (Orthoptera: Tettigonidae) is a highly nutritious and luxurious insect delicacy that is consumed as a food source in many African countries. However, the nutrient profile of R. differens in different geographical regions have received limited research interest. Here, we provide comprehensive evidence of geograph...

Increasing global populations and decreasing sources of nutrients to feed them, has necessitated the drive for alternative and more sustainable sources of nutrients. Such alternatives should contribute to meet the demand for food and minimise negative effects on the environment. Edible insects, which have been traditionally part of human diets, sta...

Background Thermophilic composting is a promising method of sanitizing pathogens in manure and a source of agriculturally important thermostable enzymes and microorganisms from organic wastes. Despite the extensive studies on compost prokaryotes, shifts in microbial profiles under the influence of various green materials and composting days are sti...

Although mining is Zambia's major economic activity, it is implicated in environmental contamination, particularly with heavy metals. This study investigated the accumulation and transfer of heavy metals along the soil-plant-edible insect-human food chain. Our results revealed the presence of eight heavy metals (Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper,...

Given the need to boost food production while guaranteeing environmental sustainability, the black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens (L.), Diptera: Stratiomyidae) is gaining traction worldwide as an alternative protein source. In Kenya, BSF production and its use as a feed component is an emerging business, but farmer awareness of the potential...

The utilization of insect protein in poultry feed is globally gaining momentum. However, the nutritional quality of meat from hen fed diet with black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) as fishmeal (FM) substitute has received limited research attention. Our results revealed that feed substitution did not affect the proximate compositions of the meat p...

Organic agriculture (OA) is often regarded as a sustainable agricultural pathway for smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, and an increasing number of initiatives promoting OA were initiated over the last decades. However, holistic empirical evidence on the effects of such initiatives on the sustainability of smallholder farmersis still scanty...

Techninal report under the FlyGene project from the stakeholder meetings held in Nairobi, Kenya, and Uganda, Kampala, Nov 22-28, 2022

This study aimed to provide information on the nutrients of the edible larval stage of Gonimbrasia cocaulti (GC) for the first time, while exploring the potential nutrient content of the pupal life stages of the domestic silkworm (Bombyx mori; BM) and the Eri silkworm (Samia Cynthia ricini; SC). The three insects were analyzed for fatty acids, mine...

Here, we review the advances in research on management of key oil palm insect pests globally, including defoliators, leaf/fruit scrapers, borers and sap feeders. The common oil palm pest management methods include synthetic insecticides, biopesticides, semiochemical lures, cultural practices, and integrated approaches. However, effectiveness, affor...

This chapter provides comprehensive information on organic waste pathogen reduction using insect larvae, mechanisms of pathogen suppression during entomocomposting, and the contribution of insect frass fertilizer to improving soil fertility and crop productivity in an environmentally sound, socially just, climate-resilient, and cost-effective manne...