ABSTRACT Artificial diets are essential in insect research, providing controlled environments to study physiological, ecological, and evolutionary processes. In bruchid studies, artificial seeds are widely used for testing insecticides, developing pest management strategies, and understanding insect biology. To ensure laboratory results reflect natural conditions, it is crucial to compare insect development on natural and artificial seeds. This study investigated the metabolic dynamics of energy reserves during larval development of Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) on both natural and artificial seeds. Although females preferred to oviposit on natural seeds, embryo and larval development were similar in natural and artificial seeds. Larvae reached maximal mass between 19 and 20 days after oviposition (DAO). Proteins, glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels, despite minor differences, showed similar overall accumulation patterns, with proteins being the most abundant. Reserve concentrations started low, increased during larval development, and decreased during pupation, except triglycerides, which remained high during the larva‐pupal transition. Cysteine protease, lipase, and α‐amylase activities were low at 12 DAO, increasing to their peaks from 15 to 19 DAO and lowering again at 20 DAO, just prior to pupation. Analyses of a published transcriptome of C. maculatus revealed transcripts annotated as proteases, lipases, and amylases, as well as pathways involved in glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, the pentose phosphate pathway, glycogen and fatty acid metabolism, the Krebs cycle, and cellular respiration. Nearly all transcripts were identified across larvae, pupae, and adults, indicating active energy metabolism throughout development. In conclusion, development of C. maculatus was comparable on natural and artificial seeds, demonstrating that artificial seeds provide a suitable tool for laboratory studies of this insect.
Ferreira et al. (2026) studied this question.