The effect of several types of vitamins in the diet of the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella on nutritional indicators and immunity to pathogens

The Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella is widely used in rearing parasitoids and predators. Therefore, it’s nutritional and immunity indicators and its defense potential against pathogenes are important. Therefore, in this research, the effect of a standard diet including a mixture of wheat flour (68%), wheat bran (29%) and yeast (2%) as well as the combination with four types of vitamins A, C, E and D3 (1%) on the nutritional and safety index for pathogenes were evaluated. In this research, by measuring the blood cells of second, third and fourth instar larvae fed with different diet, the sensitivity of third instar larvae to different concentrations of Bacillus thuringiensis, Beauveria bassiana and Nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) was obtained by LC50 and LT50 values. In the evaluation of nutritional index on third instar larvae of Mediterranean flour moth, the highest relative growth rate, relative consumption rate, efficiency of conversion of eaten food and efficiency of conversion of digested food were observed in larvae fed in standard diet with vitamin C. Also, the LC50 and LT50 values resulting from the effect of different concentrations of B. bassiana, B. thuringiensis and NPV virus on the third instar larvae of the Mediterranean flour moth showed that the least effect was on the larvae fed on the standard food dietincluding vitamin C followed by vitamin D3. Therefore, in the reproduction and rearing of this host in the production of biological agents, it is recommended to use food supplements containing vitamin C and D3.