A Process for Deglutination of Insect Eggs

A process for deglutination and removal from host plants of eggs of the cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (L.), with a solvent under air agitation is described. A 10-fold increase in egg recovery per man-day was realized using the process, compared with removing eggs from plant leaves by hand. Deglutinated eggs of the cereal leaf beetle used for production of Anaphes flavipes (Forester), were shown to be as acceptable to this parasite as handprocessed eggs.