Food composition for hemophagous insects

Abstract

A composition suitable for feeding hemophagous insects includes peptides, salt, and a CO 2 generator.

1 .- 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A food composition, comprising:
 a peptide component including amino acids in the following dry-weight proportions:
 about 6.4%-about 6. 5% isoleucine; 
 about 8.6%-about 9.0% leucine; 
 about 6.2%-about 6.8% lysine; 
 about 5.8%-about 6.4% phenylalanine; 
 about 3.9%-about 4.5% threonine; 
 about 1.1%-about 1.3% tryptophan; and 
 about 6.9%-about 7.2% valine; 
   sodium chloride; and   a CO 2  generator,   wherein the food composition is characterized in that upon dilution to an isotonic solution, the peptide component is present in a concentration of about 40 g/L to about 100 g/L.   
     
     
         28 . The food composition of  claim 27 , wherein the peptide component further comprises:
 about 4.5%-about 5.0% arginine.   
     
     
         29 . The food composition of  claim 27 , wherein the peptide component further comprises:
 about 1.5%-about 1.7% cysteine.   
     
     
         30 . The food composition of  claim 27 , wherein the peptide component further comprises:
 about 2.2% histidine.   
     
     
         31 . The food composition of  claim 27 , wherein the peptide component further comprises:
 about 4.3%-about 4.8% methionine.   
     
     
         32 . The food composition of  claim 27 , wherein the peptide component consists essentially of individual amino acids. 
     
     
         33 . The food composition of  claim 27 , wherein the peptide component includes oligopeptides. 
     
     
         34 . The food composition of  claim 27 , wherein the peptide component includes polypeptides. 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The food composition of  claim 27 , wherein the CO 2  generator includes an edible acid. 
     
     
         38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . The food composition of  claim 27 , wherein the CO 2  generator includes sodium bicarbonate. 
     
     
         40 . The food composition of  claim 27 , further comprising a sugar. 
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . The food composition of  claim 27 , further comprising a blood component. 
     
     
         43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . The food composition of  claim 42 , wherein the blood component is present at a concentration approximately equal to a normal physiological level for human blood. 
     
     
         45 . The food composition of  claim 27 , further comprising a preservative. 
     
     
         46 . The food composition of  claim 27 , further comprising a stabilizer. 
     
     
         47 . The food composition of  claim 27 , further comprising an insect attractant, an insect repellent, a pheromone, a kairomone, an allomone, or an insect phagostimulant. 
     
     
         48 . The food composition of  claim 27 , further comprising a colorant. 
     
     
         49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A food composition, comprising the food composition of  claim 27  dissolved in a liquid. 
     
     
         51 .- 56 . (canceled) 
     
     
         57 . The food composition of  claim 50 , wherein the concentration of the protein mixture in the liquid is from about 40 g/L to about 100 g/L. 
     
     
         58 . The food composition of  claim 50 , wherein the liquid is equivalently isotonic. 
     
     
         59 . The food composition of  claim 50 , wherein the liquid is substantially isotonic. 
     
     
         60 . The food composition of  claim 50 , wherein the liquid is isotonic. 
     
     
         61 . (canceled) 
     
     
         62 . A food composition, comprising:
 a peptide component including amino acids isoleucine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine, these amino acids having relative proportions substantially equal to the proportions that the same amino acids would have in a mixture of albumin and whey protein at a ratio between 3:1 and 12:1 dry weight;   sodium chloride; and   a CO 2  generator,   the food composition characterized in that, upon mixing with water to form an isotonic solution, the resulting solution includes about 40 to about 100 grams of peptide component per ml.   
     
     
         63 . The food composition of  claim 62 , wherein the peptide component is composed principally of amino acids. 
     
     
         64 . The food composition of  claim 62 , wherein the peptide component includes oligopeptides. 
     
     
         65 . The food composition of  claim 62 , wherein the peptide component includes polypeptides. 
     
     
         66 .- 67 . (canceled) 
     
     
         68 . The food composition of  claim 62 , wherein the CO 2  generator includes an edible acid. 
     
     
         69 . (canceled) 
     
     
         70 . The food composition of  claim 62 , wherein the CO 2  generator includes sodium bicarbonate. 
     
     
         71 . The food composition of  claim 62 , further comprising a sugar. 
     
     
         72 . (canceled) 
     
     
         73 . The food composition of  claim 62 , further comprising a blood component. 
     
     
         74 . (canceled) 
     
     
         75 . The food composition of  claim 73 , wherein the blood component is present at a concentration approximately equal to a normal physiological level for human blood. 
     
     
         76 . The food composition of  claim 62 , further comprising a preservative. 
     
     
         77 . The food composition of  claim 62 , further comprising a stabilizer. 
     
     
         78 . The food composition of  claim 62 , further comprising an insect attractant, an insect repellent, a pheromone, a kairomone, an allomone, or an insect phagostimulant. 
     
     
         79 . The food composition of  claim 62 , further comprising a colorant. 
     
     
         80 . The food composition of  claim 62 , wherein the food composition is water-soluble. 
     
     
         81 . A food composition, comprising the food composition of  claim 62  dissolved in a liquid. 
     
     
         82 .- 87 . (canceled) 
     
     
         88 . The food composition of  claim 81 , wherein the concentration of the protein mixture in the liquid is from about 40 g/L to about 100 g/L. 
     
     
         89 .- 92 . (canceled) 
     
     
         93 . A food composition, comprising:
 a first portion including an edible acid; and   a second portion including sodium bicarbonate, the first portion being separate from the second portion,   wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion includes a peptide component including amino acids isoleucine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine, these amino acids having relative proportions substantially equal to the proportions that the same amino acids would have in a mixture of albumin and whey protein at a ratio between about 3:1 and about 12:1 dry weight,   the food composition characterized in that, upon mixing of the first portion, second portion, and optionally water to form a mixture equivalently isotonic with blood, the edible acid and the sodium bicarbonate combine to produce CO 2 .   
     
     
         94 . The food composition of  claim 93 , where the peptide component is present in an amount sufficient that upon mixing the first portion, the second portion, and optionally water to form a mixture equivalently isotonic with blood, the peptide component is present in a concentration of about 40-100 g/L. 
     
     
         95 . The food composition of  claim 93 , where the peptide component is present in an amount sufficient that upon mixing the first portion and the second portion of the food composition with an amount of water sufficient to render the mixture substantially isotonic with blood, the peptide component is present in a concentration of about 40-100 g/L. 
     
     
         96 . The food composition of  claim 93 , where the peptide component is present in an amount sufficient that upon mixing the first portion and the second portion of the food composition with an amount of water sufficient to render the mixture isotonic with blood, the peptide component is present in a concentration of about 40-100 g/L. 
     
     
         97 . (canceled) 
     
     
         98 . The food composition of  claim 93 , further comprising a sugar. 
     
     
         99 . (canceled) 
     
     
         100 . The food composition of  claim 93 , further comprising a blood component. 
     
     
         101 . (canceled) 
     
     
         102 . The food composition of  claim 100 , wherein the blood component is present at a concentration approximately equal to a normal physiological level for human blood. 
     
     
         103 .- 165 . (canceled)