What is the Insect Breeding Chamber Used For?

Insect farming has been a part of human history for centuries. For example, in Europe, we have examples of sericulture—that is, silkworm breeding—since the Middle Ages, while in China, this practice has been known for at least 5,000 years!

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Today, insect breeding plays a very important role in research, and modern science has developed increasingly efficient tools for this purpose, such as the insect breeding chamber.

Let's see what it consists of.

What is Insect Breeding Used For?

But first of all: what is the point of raising insects?

Traditionally, insect farming has played an important role in the production and processing of raw materials. Consider the aforementioned silkworm breeding for silkworm production or beekeeping for honey production. 

In recent years, however, insect farming has also served other purposes.

Farming insects for food, for example, is one of the avenues being explored to address new ecological challenges. Insects can be fed to livestock, pets, and even humans.

Finally, insect farming also serves scientific research. Some small insects are perfect for studying the human genome. Among these are Drosophila melanogaster, also known as fruit flies. Their genome is sufficiently similar to ours that its sequencing is useful for understanding the functions of each gene and protein. We've discussed this here.

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How the Insect Breeding Chamber Works

We've seen that insect farming has existed since the dawn of human civilization. Even today, traditional methods are widely used throughout the world for intensive crops.

However, especially for research purposes, it may be useful to breed insects using new technologies that guarantee precision and reliability and do not require large natural spaces.

This is what insect breeding chambers are for.

Insect rearing chambers are laboratory instruments specifically designed for rearing small insects but also plants, bacterial cultures and microorganisms in general.

The insect breeding chamber can have various dimensions depending on the use we want to make of it, but some characteristics are necessary for its functioning.

First of all, it must be an environment isolated from the outside. Insect rearing chambers are part of the broader class of climatic chambers, that is, chambers in which it is possible to create extremely precise environmental conditions which, in this case, are those favorable for insect rearing.

Therefore, an insect breeding chamber must have a way to regulate three fundamental environmental parameters: temperature, relative humidity and lighting. 

Each of these is essential for the breeding of various insect species, including the aforementioned fruit flies.

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The FDM Insect Breeding Chamber

For over 70 years, FDM – Environmental Makers has been designing climate chambers for scientific research and the safety of products and materials.

Our insect breeding chambers, also known as growth chambers or lighting chambers, are available in various models to meet all needs. Each FDM insect breeding chamber has highly precise temperature and relative humidity controllers and various lighting systems to serve different purposes. These insect breeding lamps are known as BioLamp.

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Reference Standards

• EPA OCSPP 712-C-96-280 — Product Properties Test Guidelines: Test Insects, EPA reference insect breeding and exposure methods.
• OECD 213 — Honeybees: Acute Oral Toxicity Test, international protocol for acute toxicity on Apis mellifera.
• OECD 237 — Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera) Larval Toxicity Test, chronic single exposure method.
• ASTM E1963 — Standard Guide for Conducting Terrestrial Field Dissipation Studies, applicable to pesticide effectiveness evaluations.
• ISO 22030 — Soil quality: Biological methods, chronic toxicity in higher plants and related tests on terrestrial invertebrates.
• OECD 222 — Earthworm Reproduction Test (Eisenia fetida/Eisenia andrei), standardized ecotoxicological test.

Authoritative Sources

• EPA – United States Environmental Protection Agency. Publishes OCSPP Test Guidelines for Agrochemicals and Biocides.
• OECD Test Guidelines. OECD international guidelines for testing chemicals and pesticides.
• IOBC-WPRS – International Organization for Biological Control. Scientific reference for integrated pest management and beneficial insect rearing.

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Frequently Asked Questions about the Insect Breeding Chamber

What standard species are bred?

The reference species for regulated ecotoxicology are defined by the EPA and OECD. Apis mellifera (honeybee): OECD 213/214/237 testing for agrochemicals, reared in standard 5-frame hives with selected Buckfast or Carnica queens. Drosophila melanogaster: molecular genetics, pharmacology, aging, conditions 25°C / 60% RH / 12L:12D, cornmeal agar substrate. Tribolium castaneum: storage pest test for grain and flour, 30°C / 70% RH / complete darkness, on whole wheat flour. Spodoptera frugiperda / littoralis: lepidopteran testing for agricultural insecticides, reared on an artificial Poitout diet. Plutella xylostella: insecticide resistance on Brassicaceae. Bombyx mori: silkworm research and pathology. Nasonia vitripennis: Parasitoid reference species for biocontrol. Each species requires a certified strain (Carolina Biological, Insect Rearing Companies) with validated genetic identity, freedom from pathologies (Nosema, CPV), and a documented breeding history of >= 20 generations for phenotypic stability.

Standard photoperiod and humidity?

Standardized environmental conditions for rearing are species-specific. Typical parameters: Apis mellifera larvae: 34°C / 94% RH / dark (incubator-like), adult 25-28°C / 55-65% RH. Drosophila : 25 +/- 1°C / 60 +/- 5% RH / 12L:12D, light intensity 1000-3000 lux. Nocturnal Lepidoptera (Spodoptera, Heliothis): 26°C / 75% RH / 16L:8D significant scotophase. Diurnal agricultural insects (Pieris, Plutella): 22-25°C / 70% RH / 16L:8D. Tribolium stored product: 30°C / 70% RH / 0L:24D (light-sensitive). High humidity (65-85% RH) is critical to prevent dehydration of eggs and juvenile stages, but must be balanced to avoid the proliferation of pathogenic fungi (Beauveria, Metarhiziumrhand mites (Tyrophagus). The photoperiod regulates induced diapause, mating synchronization, and circadian rhythms. The chamber must provide light sources with a spectrum similar to natural light (RGB LEDs or T5 fluorescent lamps at 5000-6500 K), avoiding excessive UV-A, which can be lethal for sensitive species.

How is an LD50 study structured?

The acute toxicity test LD50 according to OECD 213 (oral) or OECD 214 (contact) determines the lethal dose for 50% of the exposed population. Standard procedure: (1) procurement of young bees (1-14 days) from documented healthy colonies; (2) CO2 anesthesia for handling; (3) caging in groups of 10 per Liebefeld cage, 3 replicates per dose; (4) exposure to 5-7 geometric doses (factor 2) + negative control solution + positive control dimethoate known LD50; (5) observation of mortality at 4, 24, 48, 72 h; (6) ad libitum diet 50% sugar solution; (7) probit or binomial analysis for LD50 calculation with 95% confidence interval. Test validity requires: control mortality < 10%, LD50 dimethoate positive control within the expected range (0.10-0.35 μg ai/bee oral). The climatic chamber must maintain 25 +/- 2 C / 50-70% RH / darkness (or red light for observations) for at least 96 h, with operator access limited to avoid disturbance. EU Regulation 1107/2009 requires LD50 for registration of each new active substance + metabolites, with recent extension to chronic OECD 245.

Integration with pollinators?

The study of non-Apis pollinators is increasingly in demand: Bombus terrestris (common bumblebee) – dedicated EFSA test 2021, standard colony with queen and 40-80 workers, conditions 25°C / 60% RH darkness; Osmia bicornis (solitary honeybee) – OECD draft test 2022, artificial nests with overwintered cocoons; Megachile rotundata – standard leafcutting bee for alfalfa pollination; Syrphidae (fly-pollinating flies) – protocols under development at IOBC. Research on sublethal effects has led to new protocols: navigation tests with RFID tagging, learning Proboscis Extension Reflex (PER), immunomodulation with hemocyte quantification, and gut microbiome. Dedicated chambers for colony-level exposure (tent cage field-lab semi-field OECD 213-extended) require volumes of 50-500 m3, simulated natural photoperiod, and the option of providing planting plants (rapeseed, phacelia) for realistic foraging. Investment budget: 100-500 kEUR, study duration: 4-12 weeks, required by the EU Bee Guidance Regulation 2013 (currently under review in 2024).