Insects as food for insectivores

A variety of insects are commonly fed to captive insectivores. We review the nutrient content of a variety of commercially raised insects and compare those values to the data available for wild insects. These data are discussed in light of the nutrient requirements for domestic animals to identify nutrients of concern for captive insectivores. Additionally, various environmental and dietary factors that can significantly affect insect nutrient composition are reviewed. We then evaluate the various techniques that are currently used to enhance the nutrient content of commercially bred insects, including gut loading and dusting. Lastly, possible negative considerations that might be important factors when feeding captive insectivores, including pathogens, pathogenic microorganisms, toxins, and antinutritional factors, are discussed