DEVELOPMENT OF A PLANT FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF ENERGY-SAVING LIGHT TECHNOLOGY FOR GROWING GREATER WAX MOTH IN AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE
The larvae of the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella L.) are not only a serious pest of bee colonies, but also a valuable raw material for the production of biologically active substances widely used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetology, food industry, animal feed, as well as a source of high-quality protein. We have developed an energy-saving installation for industrial insect cultivation, consisting of two modules: the first for butterflies (adults), the second for larvae, pupae and eggs. To implement energy-saving light technology, experiments with a large wax moth were carried out in the laboratory of Udmurt Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The experiments were repeated 4 times. There were 20 specimens of G. mellonella in each experiment. The air temperature was maintained at 28° C, air humidity 50%. The influence of the duration and wavelength of radiation (400 nm, 491 nm, 546 nm and 577 nm) on the number of adults that moved to the module for butterflies and on the mass of laid eggs was studied. The radiation of 400 nm turned out to be the most effective, since 45% of butterflies moved to it and the mass of laid eggs was 32%, which is significantly higher than that of the radiation of 491, 546 and 577 nm. The duration of the radiation was 10 minutes, 30 minutes and 60 min. With an experiment duration of 60 min. 45% of the large wax moth is transferred to the butterfly module, with an experiment duration of 30 minutes. - 44%, and with an experiment duration of 10 minutes, 43% of the large wax moth moved. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain the operating time of LEDs with a wavelength of 400 nm for 30 minutes. The aim of the research is to develop an installation for the implementation of energy-saving light technology for the cultivation of larvae of the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella L.) on an industrial scale