United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

Fmc Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of

Waterbury Companies, Inc.

The United States of America Dept. of Agriculture

Maria Guadalupe Rojas

Juan A Morales-Ramos

W Louis Tedders

Juan A Morales Ramos

Ligia M Hernandez

Frederick Green, Iii

Jonathan D Peters

David I Shapiro-Ilan

David I Shapiro Ilan

Scott L Lee

Carl Brian Dean

Peter J Wan

Edgar G King

David Shapiro Ilan

Daniel Cahn

Thomas A Kuster

The insect water supply system is configured to prevent the insects (such as crickets) from self-contaminating the water supplied to the insects' rearing enclosure. The system is designed so that the insects drink in an inverted (i.e. upside down) and elevated position&#x2014;consequently the insects' feces fall downward toward the ground and away from their water source&#x2014;and therefore do not contaminate the insects' water supply.

Insect water supply system

The system produces beneficial parasites by depositing parasite-infected cadavers adjacent to a filtering device inside an enclosed package. The parasites are then allowed to migrate from the infected cadavers, through the filtering device, and into a parasite-sustaining medium. After the migration is complete, the spent cadavers and the filtering device are removed and the package is closed. In the preferred embodiment, beneficial nematodes migrate through a screen matrix into polyacrylamide gel to create a package of beneficial nematodes.

System and method for producing beneficial parasites

A composition suitable for the preparation of insect diet formulations, containing proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, salts, and lambda carrageenan; the composition contains maltodextrin and no agar. An insect diet formulation, containing the composition described herein and water (room temperature). A method for rearing insects from eggs, involving providing the insect diet formulation described herein and culturing the insects with the insect diet formulation.

Insect diet formulations and methods for rearing insects

Termite foods mixed together in a matrix suitable to be used as baits and attractants for termites are provided. They comprise cellulose, naphthalenic compounds, water and potentially other termite-preferred nutrients. Methods of monitoring the presence of termites using such matrices and methods of controlling termites using such matrices to deliver termite toxins are also provided.

Naphthalenic compounds as termite bait toxicants

Disclosed is a taping apparatus for packaging arthropods having been infected with entomopathogenic nematodes wherein the tape forms a continuous line of packaged arthropods. In one embodiment of the invention, the tape formulation has the arthropods, orinfected with the nematodes ofor

Apparatus for packaging arthropods infected with entomopathogenic nematodes

Predatory mites contained in an enclosed housing are provided with a continuous food source (i.e. spidermites) so that the healthy adult predatory mites migrate upwards to a collection container at the apex of the housing where a user harvests the predatory mites. The predatory mites are provided with spidermite-infested vegetation disposed in planar trays. The trays are chronologically arranged in a vertical stack within the housing so that as new trays loaded with spidermites are added to the top of the stack, old trays depleted of spidermites are removed from the bottom of the stack. The predatory mites intuitively display negative geotropism and positive phototropism so that the mites naturally move upwards and toward the light. Consequently the predatory mites migrate to the upper trays as new trays are added and eventually reach the collection container at the apex of the housing.

System and method for production of predatory mites

The automated insect separation system processes an aggregate mixture of insects and other materials so that selected insects are separated from the other components of the mix. Specifically, the aggregate mix is directed into a separator apparatus so that the mix flows vertically through a series of vibrating screens. In the preferred embodiment, the screening process separates two different sizes of mealworm larvae from the aggregate mixture. The mix includes the mealworm larvae, unconsumed food materials (usually wheat bran), and insect frass.

Automated insect separation system

Ant foods mixed together in a matrix suitable to be used as baits for ants are provided. This ant matrix is preferred by ants over naturally-occurring foods such as other known ant matrices. It comprises protein, carbohydrate, fat and sterol as ant-preferred nutrients and uric acid as a bait enhancing agent is carried in a unique gel system that is specifically attractive to insects. Methods of controlling ants using such matrices to deliver ant toxins are also provided.

Gellable ant bait matrix

Termite bait matrix containing cellulose, calco oil blue V (solvent blue 58 or 9,10-anthracenedione, 1,4-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)amino]), and optionally a termite toxicant (e.g., chitin synthesis inhibitor). Methods of monitoring termite activity in a region involving placing a termite bait matrix in the region and assessing the presence of termites at the site of the termite matrix, the termite bait matrix contains cellulose and 9,10-anthracenedione, 1,4-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)amino]. Methods of killing termites, involving placing a termite bait matrix in a termite habitat and allowing termites to feed on the bait matrix, the termite bait matrix contains cellulose, 9,10-anthracenedione, 1,4-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)amino], and a termite toxicant (e.g., chitin synthesis inhibitor).

Use of calco oil blue V in bait formulations for marking and controlling subterranean termites

Low concentrations of gossypol and related phyllophage toxins from cotton improve the effectiveness of insecticidal agents against social insects, including cockroaches, and particularly termites and ants. Levels of gossypol and other cotton phyllophage toxins which are sufficiently low as to be non-biocidal to social insects alone, will significantly increase the control efficacy of other insecticidal agents. Consequently, use of these low levels of these cotton phyllophage toxins allows the levels of insecticidal agents necessary for effectively controlling the insects to be significantly reduced relative to applications without cotton phyllophage toxins. Furthermore, insecticidal agents which are normally ineffective for control of social insects when used alone, may be effective when used in conjunction with the cotton phyllophage toxins.

Use of gossypol and related terpenes for control of urban and agricultural pests

An improved artificial diet or growth medium for rearing the insect parasitoid Catolaccus grandis is disclosed. The growth medium is composed of amino acid, mineral, vitamin, lipid, and carbohydrate fractions which are present in amounts and proportions effective to support growth of Catolaccus grandis, and the amino acid fraction includes alanine, glutamic acid, histidine and proline at concentrations of about 3.0-5.0%, 8.4-9.4%, 10.0-15.1% and 11.7-12.8%, by weight, respectively. The growth medium is suitable for mass propagation of C. grandis from egg to adult for their subsequent release as biocontrol agents. Alternatively, the growth medium may be used to support growth of adult female wasps of C. grandis for use as breeding stock for continued mass propagation.

Growing community of inventors

Greenville, MS, United States of America

Maria Guadalupe Rojas