Description of the development cycle of Aegocera rectilinea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a caterpillar consumed in western Democratic Republic of Congo

The edible caterpillar Aegocera rectilinea Boisduval 1836, locally called Mikombidila, is collected from its wild habitat for consumption by people in the western region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Its production by farming would represent a valuable source of animal protein for local populations. Working toward this end, the present study examined the life cycle of A. rectilinea, fed on Boerhavia diffusa L. leaves in an uncontrolled breeding room (26 +/- 2 degrees C, 77 +/- 6% relative humidity), starting with caterpillars previously harvested in Kinshasa, DRC. The fecundity of the females was 340.8 eggs on average, with an egg viability of 89.7%. Developmental phase durations of 19.8 +/- 1.6 and 12.5 +/- 1.9 days were observed for the larval and pupal stages, respectively. The mean total life-cycle duration, from egg to adult emergence, was 36.2 +/- 2.3 days, with a proportion of female of 0.785%. Adult longevity was 8.2 +/- 0.8 days for males and 8.0 +/- 2.0 days for females. The results of this study validate the interest for A. rectilinea rearing program to reduce food insecurity and protein deficiencies, particularly in western areas of the DRC.