From rearing to feeding: a nutrional assessment of in-house feeder insects at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Citation

Luckett EE and Henry BA. 2025. From rearing to feeding: a nutrional assessment of in-house feeder insects at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. In Treiber K, Brooks M, D’amato-Anderson J, Nylander J, Eds. Proceedings of the Sixteenth Conference on Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition, AZA Nutrition Advisory Group, Oklahoma City, OK.

Abstract

Along with weekly purchasing of feeder insects the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens (CZBG) raises a variety of insects to be used in the diets of zoo animals. The use of feeder insects allows for a natural and sustainable way of providing essential nutrients animals need to maintain proper health and wellness. Feeder insects can offer several nutritional benefits including high quality protein, essential amino acids, fats, calcium, iron, and phosphorus. The nutritional value of insects can vary based on species, life stage, and the environment they are raised in. This is why it is essential to analyze their composition before including them in diets. The goal of this study was to analyze the nutritional content and overall quality of the insects being raised and used as feeder insects at the CZBG. The species that will be examined in this paper include dubia roaches, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, flesh flies, flesh fly larvae, mealworm larvae, and wax moths. The analysis aims to provide data that can guide dietary planning for insectivorous and omnivorous animals that are housed in zoos. To evaluate the nutritional content of these feeder insects, the zoo collaborated with Midwest Laboratories (MWL).

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