Dietary Requirements and Nutrient Digestion in Edible Insect

Dear Colleagues,

Insects are increasingly recognised for their exceptional capacity to convert low-value organic substrates into high-quality, nutrient-dense biomass. Species such as the black soldier fly, yellow mealworm, and house cricket have already been shown to have potential in both food and feed applications. While the past decade has seen rapid growth in research on rearing insects on various waste streams, critical knowledge gaps remain regarding the specific nutritional requirements of edible insects and the mechanisms underlying nutrient digestion.

Nutrient composition—including proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins—plays a central role in insect growth, survival, development, and biomass conversion efficiency. At the same time, insect species differ in their digestive physiologies, enzymatic capacities, and ability to break down complex nutrients such as fibers. However, these digestive processes and their implications for optimal diet formulation are still insufficiently understood.

This Special Issue of Insects welcomes original research articles and review papers focused on the nutritional needs of edible insects, comparative digestion physiology, nutrient assimilation, and mechanistic studies of digestive enzymes across developmental stages and species. Studies linking nutrient supply, digestive function, and performance outcomes are especially encouraged. The goal is to deepen the understanding of how edible insects acquire, digest, and utilise nutrients, thereby advancing substrate formulation and improving insect rearing efficiency.

Dr. Christos I. Rumbos
Guest Editor

Dr. Kylian Manon Eggink
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.