In recent years, interest has grown among poultry nutritionists in using alternative protein sources, such as insect meal, to meet the protein requirements of poultry due to sustainability concerns surrounding traditional protein sources such as soybean and fish meal. Insect meal can be produced from different insects, including black soldier fly, mealworms, and house crickets, and its nutrient composition varies depending on the insect species, the substrate they are reared on, and the production method. This review article provides an updated overview of insect meal as a new form of protein concentrate in poultry diets, including its nutritional value, advantages, challenges, and future prospects. Insect meal has been shown to be a rich source of protein, amino acids (lysine, methionine), and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, zinc), with a high digestibility rate, making it a valuable feed ingredient for poultry production. Additionally, using insect meal in poultry feed could reduce the cost of production and the environmental impact on the industry. Furthermore, the use of insect meal has the potential to improve the growth performance and meat quality of poultry species. However, several challenges related to large-scale insect production, legal regulatory frameworks, and consumer acceptance need to be addressed. Future research and development could help overcome these challenges and increase the adoption of insects as a potential source of protein in poultry feed. This review provides an updated and comprehensive overview of insects as a potential source of protein for poultry nutrition and highlights the possible perspectives of insect meal to contribute to a more sustainable and efficient poultry production system. While challenges remain, the utilization of insect meal in poultry feed has the capability to enhance the sustainability and efficiency in the poultry industry. Hence, insect meal emerges as a highly encouraging protein alternative, offering sustainable prospects for its utilization within the poultry sector. However, advancements in insect production technology and efficiency have the potential to raise the production scale while lowering prices, making insect meals more affordable compared to conventional protein sources. Based on the comprehensive analysis, it is recommended to further explore the practical implementation of insect meal as a reliable and efficient means of supplying protein in poultry nutrition.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a versatile genetic tool capable of selectively inhibiting the expression of any gene in a targeted organism. Its implementation holds great promise for safeguarding crops against insect pests and diseases. Vacuolar-ATPase represents an ideal target for RNAi-based pest management strategies since it is an enzyme essential for various physiological processes in insects. In this study, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) was synthesized using an L4440 vector in Escherichia coli HT115 strain to silence the Vacuolar-ATPase proteolipid subunit mRNA in the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say). To assess the effectiveness of RNAi, L. decemlineata larvae at different developmental stages were fed potato leaflets treated with dsRNA. The feeding bioassays using dsV-ATPase resulted in significant mortality rates, ranging from 45% to 77% across all of the instar stages of L. decemlineata. Furthermore, ingestion of dsRNAs by third- and fourth-instar larvae exerted significant effects on their body weight and foliage consumption. Notably, feeding the larvae dsV-ATPase led to a significant reduction in V-ATPase gene expression, confirming the efficacy of RNAi-mediated gene silencing in controlling L. decemlineata populations. These findings highlight the potential of RNAi-mediated gene silencing as a valuable strategy for managing L. decemlineata populations by targeting essential genes.

Pachycrepoideus vindemiae Rondani (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and Trichopria drosophilae (Perkins) (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) are pupal parasitoids capable of successfully developing on Drosophilidae species, including the invasive pest Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Both parasitoids are considered potential biological control agents for managing D. suzukii. We conducted a long-term laboratory rearing study to assess whether different rearing host species, specifically D. suzukii and Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Diptera: Drosophilidae), influence the parasitoids’ preference for D. suzukii pupae at different developmental stages. In no-choice tests, T. drosophilae reared on either D. suzukii or D. melanogaster exhibited a preference for parasitizing younger D. suzukii pupae over older ones. In contrast, P. vindemiae reared on both host species did not show a significant difference in parasitism rates across D. suzukii pupal stages. Additionally, there were no significant differences in the performance of T. drosophilae and P. vindemiae after 10 generations of rearing on D. melanogaster when tested on D. suzukii pupae, compared to those reared on D. suzukii. These results suggest that long-term rearing on an alternative host does not alter the host stage preference of these parasitoids for D. suzukii.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a sequence-guided approach to insect pest management, but its efficacy depends on more than the choice of an essential target gene. The biological activity of exogenously applied double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is shaped by its molecular properties, extracellular stability, interactions with delivery materials, cellular uptake, intracellular trafficking, and access to the RNAi machinery. This review examines these linked determinants and considers how differences in insect physiology contribute to variation in RNAi susceptibility. We discuss target-gene selection and sequence specificity alongside nuclease activity, gut barriers, endosomal processing, and systemic transport. Particular attention is given to nanomaterial-based formulations, including chitosan, liposomes, and layered double hydroxides, as well as microbial, symbiont-mediated, host-induced gene silencing (HIGS), and spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) platforms. Their potential benefits are assessed in relation to formulation reproducibility, production costs, environmental fate, non-target exposure, and regulatory requirements. By connecting dsRNA structure–function relationships with delivery biology and application performance, this review identifies mechanistic questions and validation steps that must be addressed to develop reliable RNAi-based tools. RNAi is best regarded as a complementary component of integrated pest management, with field deployment requiring species-specific optimization and evidence-based environmental assessment.