International Insect Rearing Workshop

• History
• Images and Student Comments from the 2011 Workshop
• 2012 WORKSHOP CLASS IS FULL!
• Fall 2012 Workshop: Overview (NOTE: DATES FOR 2012 WORKSHOP CHANGED TO SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 5!)
• 2012 Workshop Waiting List Request Form

History

Dr. Louela Castrillo lecturing during workshop

In 2000, the Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology at Mississippi State University (MSU) initiated formal education for those who rear insects under laboratory conditions. The idea of a workshop devoted to insect rearing was conceived by USDA/ARS and MSU researchers who had spent many years rearing insects professionally. Not only did they recognize a need for insect rearing education in this country; but, based on their extensive international travels, they also recognized a global need for such education. Thus, an intensive five-day workshop titled "Principles and Procedures for Rearing High Quality Insects" designed to cover all the major areas of laboratory rearing of insects and advertised on a world-wide basis was born.

The first insect rearing workshop was held fall 2000. Attendance was limited to 24 students primarily to allow hands-on laboratories as part of the educational experience. Because the demand for the workshop was so great, we scheduled a second workshop that same fall. We completed our 14th workshop in October 2011.

A total of 317 students have attended the workshop. Of these, 81 have traveled to the U.S. from a total of 25 countries. The remaining students originated from a total of 39 states and territories within the U.S. Breakdown of the attendees based on gender and on public institutions vs. private industry are as follows: 48/52% (female/male) and 43/57% (public/private).

On several occasions, the workshop has been dedicated to an individual who deserves recognition for having made significant contributions to the field of insect rearing. Those who have received this distinction include the following:

• Dr. Peter P. Sikorowski for his outstanding research on disease and diet contamination and their management in insectaries.
• Dr. Norman C. Leppla for his superior leadership role in the insect rearing community and for his pioneering and continuing efforts in establishing the "Quality Control Concept" for rearing programs.
• Dr. Alan C. Bartlett for his scientific contributions to the understanding of genetic changes within colonies of laboratory reared insects.
• Dr. Pritam Singh for his pioneering efforts in developing artificial diets and systems for rearing many insects in the laboratory.
• Dr. Frank M. Davis for his development and dissemination of outstanding rearing technology for lepidoptera and for his primary role in the initiation of this workshop.
• Dr. Allen Carson Cohen for his outstanding contributions to insect nutrition and development of artificial diets for both phytophagous and entomophagous insects.
• Dr. William "Bill" Fisher for his many outstanding contributions to insectary design and management during his ca. 30-year long career with private industry.
• Dr. Clarence Collison for his support of the MSU Insect Rearing Workshop from its inception through 2009 as Head of the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology.
• Mr. Carlos White for creation of the family-owned company "Insect Lore", which has reared the Painted Lady butterflies used to introduce millions of children around the world to the wonder of metamorphosis.

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Images and Student Comments from the 2011 Workshop

These pictures were provided by Kat Lawrence who is employed with MAFES Agricultural Communications

2011 Workshop Participants and Instructors

Barbecue Dinner at the MSU 'Bull Barn'

Students with Alligator at the Catfish Fry Dinner,
Noxubee Wildlife Refuge

One of the Door Prize Winners at the Southern Style
Dinner Celebration,MSU Lyle Entomology

Break time

Students on Tour of
USDA/ARS R. W. Harned Insect Rearing Facility

Pathology Lab Session

At the close of each workshop, students complete a comprehensive evaluation assessing strengths and weaknesses of lecturers, workshop logistics, and overall workshop effectiveness. These evaluations have been critical to the continued improvement of the workshop. We are proud of an average overall workshop effectiveness rating of 4.75 and especially proud of our 2011 'perfect' rating of 5.0. A few comments from the 2011 workshop attendees follow:

Comment 1: "This workshop was awesome! I got more from this workshop than I could ever have imagined. The speakers were wonderful and the networking was great."

Comment 2: "Everything that I hoped it would be and more!!!. Thank you all so very much."

Comment 3: "This has been a phenomenal experience. What an inspirational team of lecturers and I can’t wait to return home and show others what I’ve learned."

Comment 4: I learned so much during this week. It got me excited about going back to school to get a master's degree.

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Fall 2012 Workshop: Overview

NOTE: DATES FOR 2012 WORKSHOP CHANGED TO SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 5!

The next MSU Insect Rearing Workshop will be held Sunday early afternoon through Friday noon September 30-5 October, 2012. We regret that the schedule for holding the 2012 Rearing Workshop had to be changed to avoid a conflict with Mississippi State University's home football schedule. By scheduling the workshop when there are no home games for two weekends in a row, workshop attendees who must stay a Friday or Saturday night do not have to compete for lodging with the huge football crowd and pay $200 (US) per night for both Friday and Saturday nights. The new workshop dates of September 30th to October 5th avoid such conflicts. The reason Mississippi State University changed its football schedule is because the University of Missouri and Texas A. & M. University have been recently added to the Southeastern Football Conference. We certainly hope that having to reschedule our workshop will not cause any of you a major problem. If there is a problem, please let us know. This is the first time that we have had to change the workshop dates.

The program will include a series of lectures delivered by the following instructors:

• Dr. Michael Caprio (MSU) - Genetics
• Dr. Louela Castrillo (Cornell U., USDA/ARS) - Diseases & Contamination
• Dr. Muhammad Chaudhury (USDA/ARS) - Diets
• Dr. John Schneider (MSU) - Environmental Biology
• Dr. Frank Davis (MSU; USDA/ARS, retired) - Production Systems
• Dr. William "Bill" Fisher (BASF) - Insectary Design & Management
• Dr. Norman Leppla (U. of Florida) - Quality Control
• V. Gay McCain (USDA/ARS, Mississippi State, MS) – Safety and Health Issues
• Tom Riddell (Air Filter Sales and Service) National Air Filtration Specialist

This team of experts includes several who have more than 40 years experience in rearing a wide range of insect species. While presentations contain pertinent basic scientific information, instructors are encouraged to stress the applied side of rearing because problem solving is essential to successful rearing. A special lecture will be given Sunday afternoon by an invited speaker (T.B.A.). Past lecturers have included Dr. Karel Bolckmans, Koppert B.V., The Netherlands, Building robust, reliable rearing systems; Zane Greathouse, Greathouse Butterfly Farm, Earleton, FL, Insect rearing marketing and customer relations; and Dr. Frank Austin, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Microbial control in insect rearing facilities. To enhance the oral presentations, each student will receive our book "Principles and Procedures for Rearing High Quality Insects" plus a manual containing the insect pathology lecture and pertinent scientific reprints.

Two laboratories will be held. Two "hands-on" laboratories will be held dealing with insectary pathology. The first of the pathology labs is microbiology-oriented and covers identification of various disease agents. The second pathology lab deals with methodologies used to solve disease and contamination problems.

During the workshop, tours will be made of the MSU Insect Rearing Center and an outstanding, local USDA/ARS rearing laboratory to observe their production systems, including facilities, equipment, supplies, and standard operating procedures for various insect species.

Social events will be held during three evenings to provide opportunities for lecturers and students to enjoy some delicious Southern cooking while sharing rearing information and just relaxing. Each day, two breaks are held for snacks and additional interchange of information among participants. Networking of students and lecturers is a goal of the workshop because such relationships facilitate the long-term exchange of information and ideas.

The dedication of the 2012 workshop will be made at the final social event of the workshop-hopefully with the honoree in attendance.

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