Entomological Review

Breeding insect stocks as artificial populations with given properties is the main task of technical entomology in the research and development of methods for biological control of insect pests and carriers of transmission diseases. One of the urgent problems of the agricultural sector is the provision of high-quality animal protein. The undisputed leader in the source of animal protein is the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens (L.), which is successfully used for the production of animal protein as part of nutrient media in feed production, processing of livestock waste to obtain biohumus, for the disposal of organic waste. However, in the context of global population growth, various attempts are being made to find new sources of nutrients. One such option may be the use of insects as an alternative source of proteins, fats and chitosan. Based on an analysis of publications in international and domestic electronic databases, arguments are presented in favor of the possibility of increasing food production based on alternative protein sources. As part of the formation of a comprehensive system for assessing the safety of new food products using insects, it is necessary to conduct fundamental and applied scientific research, including determining the nutritional and biological value, toxicological and allergological experiments. One solution may be to consider deep processing of such raw materials. For use in the food industry, insects must undergo processing that includes the extraction of protein, fat and chitin fractions, each of which will have its own application. Thus, entomophagy, as an alternative source of protein, can play an important role in overcoming the growing crisis of nutritional deficiency of the planet's population and ensuring food security. Analyzing the achievements considered, it becomes obvious that the development of technical entomology is of great importance in agriculture and the food industry. Successes in breeding mass cultures of insects with specified properties contributed to obtaining an alternative source of nutrition. These developments undoubtedly represent scientific and applied interest and contribute to the development and new opportunities in the field of biocoology in achieving food security.

Results of the first study of the fauna and ecology of bumblebees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Bombus Latr.) in the northern part of the Yugyd Va National Park are presented. In the field studies of 2012–2023, sixteen bumblebee species from seven subgenera were discovered, which makes up 44% of the fauna of the North-East of European Russia. Most of them have vast ranges and, according to the type of biopreferendum, belong to eurytopic and meadow-forest species. The population structure is similar to that in the lowland part of the northernmost taiga and has a number of differences from that in the southern part of the national park. The highest levels of species diversity and richness are characteristic of floodplain forb meadows and larch forests. Consortial relationships of bumblebees with 75 plant species from 16 families were revealed, including seven plant species from the Red Data Book of the Komi Republic (2019). The most visited by the bumblebees plants include representatives of the families Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Plantaginaceae, Onagraceae, Ericaceae, and Geraniaceae. Based on the data of palynological analysis, as well as on those of the conducted surveys, it can be concluded that the pollination of some plant species by bumblebees is highly efficient.

Based on archive documents, this article gives a biography of Emilia Fedorovna Miram (1868–1942), the first head of the section of the orthopteroid insects at the Zoological Institute (formerly the Zoological Museum) of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It describes her contribution to the largest collection of orthopteroids in Northern Eurasia and her role within the St. Petersburg (Leningrad) community of entomologists. Emilia Miram began working at the Zoological Museum in 1896. Between 1906 and 1917, members of the Russian Entomological Society could purchase almost any entomological equipment and supplies with her assistance. Between 1920 and 1942, she curated the orthopteroid collection and made a huge contribution to its growth and organization. For nearly thirty years, she headed a special entomological preparation department, in which all insect collections acquired by the Zoological Institute were subjected to initial treatment. Over the years, she trained at least two hundred people in the preparation, mounting, storage and registration of entomological collections. Emilia Miram also worked at the entomological office of the Main Directorate of Аppanages (1912–1917), at the Lakhta Excursion Station (1919–1928) and in the Department of Applied Entomology (1922–1924). The Supplement includes a list of Emilia Miram’s publications, a list of taxa named after her and those she described, reviews of her work, and some other documents.