Mar 17, 2026
Artificial Diet Preparation for Galleria mellonella Rearing
- Juan José Quispe Haro1
- 1Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki
- Galleria protocols
Protocol Citation: Juan José Quispe Haro 2026. Artificial Diet Preparation for Galleria mellonella Rearing. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.j8nlkzy4dl5r/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: March 17, 2026
Last Modified: March 17, 2026
Protocol Integer ID: 313425
Keywords: galleria, mellonella, artificial diet, rearing, artificial diet preparation for galleria mellonella, house rearing of galleria mellonella, galleria mellonella, artificial diet preparation, replacement of artificial diet, diet composition, standardized diet, available ingredient,
Disclaimer
DISCLAIMER – FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY; USE AT YOUR OWN RISK
The protocol content here is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, medical, clinical, or safety advice, or otherwise; content added to protocols.io is not peer reviewed and may not have undergone a formal approval of any kind. Information presented in this protocol should not substitute for independent professional judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any action you take or refrain from taking using or relying upon the information presented here is strictly at your own risk. You agree that neither the Company nor any of the authors, contributors, administrators, or anyone else associated with protocols.io, can be held responsible for your use of the information contained in or linked to this protocol or any of our Sites/Apps and Services.
Abstract
The in-house rearing of Galleria mellonella requires frequent preparation and replacement of artificial diet for the growing larvae. A consistent and standardized diet ensures experimental repeatability. Maintaining uniform dietary and environmental conditions facilitates reliable data comparison across experiments. The diet composition outlined in this protocol follows Jorjao et al. (2018) and is prepared using readily available ingredients, which can be sourced from laboratory suppliers or commercial food retailers.
Guidelines
- Do not use general glassware, as it may retain traces of toxic components. Use dedicated glass beakers that have exclusively been used for G. mellonella food preparation.
- The artificial diet is not autoclaved to prevent degradation of heat-sensitive components. Food preservatives are also not used to prevent interference with bacteria/fungi used in subsequent experiments.
- Minimize opening the storage container to preserve integrity and reduce moisture loss.
- Store the diet in impact-resistant glassware with a hermetic seal to ensure long-term stability.
Materials
| A | B | C | |
| Ingredients | |||
| Mass (g) | Mass (%) | ||
| Dry | |||
| Corn meal | 250 | 21.37 | |
| Yeast extract | 150 | 12.82 | |
| Soy fluor | 100 | 8.55 | |
| Fortified milk formula powder | 100 | 8.55 | |
| Liquid | |||
| Beeswax | 50 | 4.27 | |
| Glycerol | 200 | 17.09 | |
| Honey | 200 | 17.09 | |
| Water | 120 | 10.26 | |
Troubleshooting
Safety warnings
This protocol involves very hot liquids. Take all precautions and use appropriate PPE.
Preparation
Weigh every dry ingredient in an appropriately sized weighing boat.
Combine all the ingredients in a stainless-steel pot (in laboratory conditions, this container should have never been used for other experiments, only food preparation, minimum volume: 4 liter) and mix gently with a silicon spatula to avoid dust dispersion while ensuring thorough blending.
Carefully weigh the liquid ingredients in a 2-liter beaker containing a magnetic stirrer.
Heat the liquid in the hot plate with gentle stirring or microwave in 30 seconds increments with mixing in between, until the wax is melted completely and evenly dispersed in solution.
Add the hot liquid onto the dry ingredients and mix vigorously with a silicone spatula until the mixture is homogenous.
Portion and transfer the fresh food to food-safe glass containers, close and seal with Parafilm.
Label the containers appropriately and store at 4°C for up to 2 months.
Protocol references
Jorjão, Adeline L., Luciane D. Oliveira, Liliana Scorzoni, Lívia Mara A. Figueiredo-Godoi, Marcia Cristina A. Prata, Antonio Olavo C. Jorge, and Juliana C. Junqueira. "From moths to caterpillars: Ideal conditions for Galleria mellonella rearing for in vivo microbiological studies." Virulence 9, no. 1 (2018): 383-389.