Estabelecimento de criação de insetos benéficos e pragas na biofábrica de insetos da Uema como ferramenta de ensino aprendizagem aplicada na extensão

Abstract

Insects play an crucial ecological role in maintaining ecosystem balance, going beyond the mistaken and pejorative interpretation of being dirty and mere transmitters of diseases to humans and animals. This study aimed establish the rearing of beneficial and pest insects at UEMA’s Insect Biofactory as a teaching-learning tool applied in extension activities. The study was conducted at the Insect Biofactory Laboratory of the State University of Maranhão (UEMA), São Luís Campus, MA, where the rearing of four species was implemented: Euschistus heros (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), Telenomus podisi (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), and Extatosoma tiaratum (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae) under controlled conditions of 24 ± 2°C temperature, 60 ± 10% relative humidity, and 12-hour photoperiod. For rearing, methodologies adapted to each species were employed, and maintenance was carried out according to specific diets. The species were kept in various containers, plastic boxes, and wooden cages. The results demonstrated that UEMA’s Insect Biofactory successfully enabled the efficient rearing of both beneficial and pest insects, allowing these arthropods to be used in non-formal education with pedagogical practices. This contributed to reducing existing prejudices and promoting the training of professionals in insect rearing, an area that currently lacks attention in Brazil. Therefore, the rearing of beneficial and pest insects at the Insect Biofactory represents an innovative setting for teaching Entomology at UEMA, serving as a teaching-learning tool applied to university extension. Furthermore, UEMA’s Insect Biofactory has become a strategic space for strengthening university extension initiatives by promoting environmental education in an integrated manner with the university’s educational programs, expanding dialogue with society, and fostering applied research. This contributes to regional development and the training of professionals committed to the sustainability of agroecosystems and innovation