Extending the Storage Time of (Lepidoptera; Sphingidae) Eggs through Variable-Temperature Cold Storage.

Mell, 1922 (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae), also known as "Doudan" in China, is an important pest in legume crops. As an edible insect, it is most commonly consumed in Jiangsu, Shandong, and Henan Provinces. Mass rearing requires access to large numbers of eggs. This stage, however, is of short duration and supplies are frequently not sufficient for insect production. Therefore, we identified the cold storage conditions for that can effectively prolong the storage time of the eggs, to make supplies more readily available. We found that when stored at 4 °C, only 7.5% of the eggs hatched after 7 days, while at 10 °C the hatch rate was 78.3%. At 15 °C, the egg hatch rate remained at this same level (77.8% even after 14-20 days). Considering various combinations, we found that optimal egg hatch occurred if eggs were stored at 15 °C for 11 days, and then held at 15-20 °C under dark conditions. Stored as described above, the egg hatch rate was not significantly different from the control group (at 28 °C). These conditions allow for easier mass rearing of by providing a stable supply of eggs.