Introduction / preface

The acceleration of agriculture industrialization process and the augmentation of agricultural industrial structure adjustment force us to break the traditional concept, develop new resources make use of limited resources and make the traditional “one-way, one-circle” style of using resource change into “one-way, one-circle”, “multi-way, multi-circle”, “circulatory use style”. The “greening” “industrialization” will show comprehensively in the course of the new centurial agricultural production. New methods of increasing farmer's income, promoting rural economic development will spring up like mushrooms. The cultivation, processing and utilization of insects are one of the most vital new trades.

Insect, the general designation of the class of insect, is the largest organism species in the world, which has been evolving for 40 million years. We have been known 1.8 million species now. And as far as we estimate, there are 10 million species. The species of insect which exists in china is about 200,000 or 300,000. They have different kinds of shape, habit behavior and function which are changeable. Insects are short life and quick propagation and transform food fast. And the number of the group of insect is more than the total number of animals on land. The world of insect is a vast storehouse of resources. It is the largest biological resources never been exploited fully in the world. Under the situation that the natural resources of the world, is short of supplies the insect resources may be the last piece of cake which God leaves for human being.

The industrialization of insect resources is continuously expanding with unprecedented speed both in depth and in breadth. A large number of insect cultivation specialized household emerge all the country. It gives an impetus to the development of industry correlated with this. Modern scientific technological measures entrust great vitality to the insect resources industrialization. With the guide of biological technology the insect resources is comprehensively doing research, exploitation and utilization in the basis of traditional cultivation. In order to strengthen the development of insect resources and pushing the industrial, Chinese insect association began to make preparations for starting a climax of researching and exploiting in this area in 1994. In 1995, December, the Chinese insect association held a meeting suggestion about strengthening development of the use and industrialization of insect resources. Agricultural department have listed insect forage as one of the ten grain-saving forage resources which have been recommended. National animal husbandry development centre has also list insect cultivation into the seven aquaculture which our country will devote major efforts to developing. National Agricultural Department lists Demonstrable population of yellow mealworm productive technology into the 2001bamper farming and fishery plan. National planning commission list yellow mealworm industrialization promotion was into 2000 high-tech industrialization promotion item.