FACILITY FOR THE PRODUCTION AND COLLECTION OF NEONATAL LARVAE

Description

Field of invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of industrial breeding of arthropods, in particular insects for the purpose of food production.

[0002] The invention relates more particularly to the field of insect breeding, in particular to the black soldier fly.

[0003] Insects have several characteristics that make them well-suited for use in animal feed. Insects are high in protein, while also being rich in other beneficial nutrients such as fats, minerals, and vitamins. Protein concentrations in insect meals for animal feed range from 55% to 75%. Insects have a higher feed conversion rate and can therefore become a very valuable feed source for livestock. Insects are a natural component of animal feed such as carnivorous fish and poultry (for example, insects can provide up to 70% of the dietary needs of trout).

[0004] Moreover, these products also have a well-balanced nutritional profile to meet human dietary needs.

[0005] These considerations have led to the development of automated mass production of food from arthropod farming, and more particularly insects, in industrial sites organized into complementary spaces specialized in hatching, breeding, collection of mature animals and their treatment to extract the compounds of interest.

[0006] These industrial sites must be optimized to allow industrialization of large volumes of larvae. One of the critical steps concerns the collection of eggs laid by female insects and the concentration of larvae for breeding because they are very small, fragile living beings, very dispersed at the start, and which must be grouped as homogeneously as possible, in batches of neonate larvae all having the same stage of maturity in a given batch. For the purposes of this patent, "neonates" will be understood to mean young larvae originating from freshly hatched eggs. Generally, egg-laying takes place in cages confining the flies in a closed space in which collectors are placed with laying surfaces, for example grooved plates, on which the females deposit the eggs.These collectors are then collected to allow the hatching of eggs giving rise to neonate larvae which are gathered in containers, at stages as homogeneous as possible, before being distributed over a breeding medium in breeding modules. The step which is the subject of this patent concerns the hatching of eggs and the grouping of neonate larvae.

[0007] The present invention relates to a system allowing the hatching of eggs, previously collected on collectors, then the transport and dosage of the neonates obtained following the hatching of the eggs, before their inoculation in a breeding medium to allow their growth. State of the art

[0008] Various solutions are known in the state of the art for the industrial collection and grouping in a container of neonate larvae, particularly insects.

[0009] International patent application WO2019154563A1 describes a method for rearing and collecting young larvae, in particular of the black soldier fly, comprising placing insects in a cage, having egg depositing means, guiding larvae, having hatched from the deposited eggs, by means of a guiding device, placed under the cage, under the influence of gravity towards a conveyor belt placed under the guiding means, moving the larvae by means of the conveyor belt towards a container placed at the end of the conveyor belt, counting the number of larvae on the conveyor belt before collection in the container, and collecting the larvae from the conveyor belt into the container until a predetermined number of larvae has been reached.

[0010] Document FR2460617 describes an installation for the mass production of eggs of an insect, in particular of the flour moth genus, of the type comprising an incubator containing cell elements, a hatcher and a laying nest, characterized in that the incubator is constituted by a ventilated enclosure comprising mobile supports for stacking cell elements arranged along their horizontal plane, a hatcher intended to contain mobile supports for stacking said elements parallel and on edge in line with an outlet hopper and provided with a carbon dioxide inlet, and a laying nest comprising an arrangement of parallel sheets arranged on edge in line with an outlet hopper towards a harvesting member, the hatcher, the laying nest and the harvester being successively connected by a pneumatic transport conduit, the incubator, the hatcher and the laying nest being further provided with temperature regulation members and, possibly, ventilation. Solution provided by the invention

[0011] The present invention aims to remedy the drawbacks of the solutions known in the state of the art by proposing a new solution adapted to large-scale industrial mass production, while limiting production losses.

[0012] To this end, the invention relates, in its most general sense, to an installation for the production and collection of neonate larvae comprising a set of cages equipped with at least one collector of eggs laid by the insects present in said cages, a line for transferring the neonate larvae from the hatched eggs from each of said collectors to a conveyor and equipment for concentrating the neonate larvae coming from said conveyor for transport to a breeding module or to a buffer storage container for neonate larvae, characterized in that it further comprises: a set of bays for grouping a plurality of said egg collectors, said bays being open in their lower parts; said bays being movable between a loading point with collectors removed from the cages and said neonate larvae transfer line; said neonate larvae transfer line being open, without casing in the upper part, to receive said bays in the upper part, and having in the lower part a guide system with flared walls, called a receptacle, having in its upper part a width adapted to the width of said bays, and in its lower part an opening adapted to the dimensions of said conveyor, said receptacle being configured to group the neonate larvae falling by gravity from said collectors onto the upper surface of said conveyor.

[0013] Advantageously, said conveyor comprises at least one moving belt, positioned under the lower opening of said receptacle with flared walls.

[0014] According to a variant, said conveyor comprises a vibrating corridor positioned under the lower opening of said receptacle with flared walls.

[0015] According to a variant, said receptacle with flared walls is constituted by a split gutter having two lateral sides whose lower edges are separated by a longitudinal slot.

[0016] Advantageously, said receptacle with flared walls comprises in the upper part means for longitudinal movement of said bays.

[0017] According to a particular embodiment, said transfer line comprises in the upper part of the receptacle with flared walls means for moving said bays parallel to said moving strip.

[0018] Advantageously, said moving belt has a main horizontal section extended at its downstream end by a section inclined towards a suction system, a vibratory means acting on the upper section and / or on the lower section.

[0019] Preferably, said moving belt has a horizontal main section extended at its downstream end by a section inclined towards a suction system, the lower belt of this section being subjected to an air flow directed in the direction opposite to the movement of said lower belt.

[0020] According to a particular mode of implementation, the installation comprises a pneumatic suction transport system for conveying the neonate larvae from said conveyor to a means of distributing said neonate larvae.

[0021] According to a preferred variant, the installation comprises a cyclonic separator formed by a cylinder and / or a vertical cone in which an ascending air flow is produced, and the bottom of which comprises a mechanical and periodic discharge means.

[0022] Advantageously, said mechanical and periodic discharge means consists of a rotary blade lock.

[0023] Preferably, the installation also includes a means for measuring the quantity of neonates by weighing.

[0024] Preferably, the installation includes a switching system for distributing the collected neonate larvae onto the trays of a multi-stage module.

[0025] The invention also relates to a method for rearing and collecting neonate arthropod larvae comprising the following steps: (a) have a set of cages filled with insects, equipped with at least one egg collector allowing the female insects to deposit their eggs; (b) collect the neonates under the influence of gravity towards a conveyor ensuring the movement of the neonate larvae by means of the conveyor towards a means of collection; characterized in that a step of grouping a plurality of collectors into bays is carried out and a step of moving said bays on an open transfer line comprising a split gutter having two converging flared walls defining a slot for discharging the neonate larvae onto said conveyor towards the downstream end for harvesting said neonate larvae.

[0026] Advantageously, the introduction of a new bay on the transfer line advances the bays already positioned in said installation in the downstream direction.

[0027] The invention also relates to a bay for hanging egg collectors, characterized in that it is constituted by an open frame formed from a rigid assembly, on which are provided transverse roller rails between which frames can be inserted, each supporting a plurality of egg collectors from the laying cages. Detailed description of non-limiting examples of implementation

[0028] The present invention will be better understood on reading the following description, referring to the appended drawings illustrating non-limiting examples of embodiment where: [ FIG. 1 ] there figure 1 represents an overall schematic top view of an installation for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to the invention; [ FIG. 2 ] there figure 2 represents an overall schematic perspective view of an installation for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to the invention; [ FIG. 3 ] there figure 3represents a perspective view of a bay for receiving the laying collectors; [ FIG. 4 ] there figure 4 represents a side view of two bays and a transfer line; [ FIG. 5 ] there Figure 5 represents a perspective view of the downstream end of the moving band; [ FIG. 6 ] there figure 6 represents an enlarged perspective view of the downstream end of the moving band; [ FIG. 7 ] there figure 7 represents a perspective view of the larvae distribution hopper; [ FIG. 8 ] there figure 8 represents a perspective view of the switch system.

[0029] In the following description, certain details are developed with reference to one piece of equipment, and in one passage. This does not exclude the possibility that the same details are also present in the equipment mentioned in another passage, even in a passage concerning another variant embodiment, simply because the details in question have not been the subject of a new description.

[0030] In this patent, the term "comprising" as used in the claims is not to be construed as being limited to the elements or steps listed below; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It is to be construed as specifying the presence of the features, steps, or components listed, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the phrase "a device comprising A and B" is not to be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B, but with respect to the present invention, the only listed components of the device are A and B, and further, the claim is to be construed as including equivalents of these components. General principles

[0031] The industrial production of food from the breeding of arthropods and - in the example described without limitation - insects is carried out in largely automated installations intended to create the optimal conditions to allow massive passage from the stage of development of the egg, the ootheca or neonate larva to the adult insect, passing through the larva (or maggots or wingless) and the nymph or pupa.

[0032] Typically, these facilities are organized into several buildings with shelving for storing breeding modules loaded with a breeding medium inoculated with larvae in a climatic atmosphere suitable for breeding, and handling equipment for episodic treatments.

[0033] The invention aims to improve the efficiency of the area from egg hatching to the inoculation of neonates into their breeding environment. To achieve this, the first challenge is to have the best possible hatching rate, i.e., that most of the eggs hatch and become neonates.

[0034] Then, the second challenge is to ensure efficient transport of the neonates to their growth container, without them being able to escape from the system.

[0035] Finally, the last challenge is to ensure accurate quantification of neonates of the same age in order to limit variability in the process. Indeed, this step is essential for the rest of the breeding cycle. If there are too many neonates compared to the quantity of breeding medium, then their growth will not be optimal because they will not have enough food. Conversely, if there are not enough neonates, the breeding medium will not be fully consumed and this will pose problems for the downstream stages of the cycle, particularly for the stage of separation of the larvae and their breeding medium. Similarly, if the neonates are of different ages, it will be difficult to properly control their growth.

[0036] Another cross-cutting issue is to have reliable, robust, inexpensive technologies that consume as little as possible, for example compressed air. Collection process

[0037] The collection process is part of the egg-laying process, which takes place upstream of collection in laying cages, and the rearing process, which takes place downstream of collection, in modules filled with rearing medium.

[0038] The stages of the collection process take place in a single area, for example a building or a shed, in which there is equipment illustrated by the figures 1 And 2 In this area there is a controlled climate conducive to the hatching of eggs, except for the inoculation part which is done in a different area.

[0039] The equipment implemented for these stages mainly includes: a plurality of bays illustrated by the figure 3, intended to receive the collectors extracted from the cages; neonate larvae transfer lines (100, 150) comprising roller running rails (121, 122; 171, 172) intended for the longitudinal movement of the aforementioned bays (500, 501), and moving belts (110, 160); a suction system (300) for transfer to a cyclonic separator (400); a distribution system for supplying the breeding modules with neonate larvae, illustrated by the figure 8

[0040] Eggs arrive in the hatching area on collectors from another area in which the flies have previously laid eggs on the collectors, generally in a cage. These collectors are, for example, in the form of grooved plates. They are placed on racks with roller rails for receiving collectors designed specifically to allow for a high density of eggs (and therefore of neonates), without creating interference during the gravitational fall of the neonates, all while being easily handled by standard handling equipment.

[0041] The system for supporting and transporting these collector bays on the transfer lines (100, 150) allows adequate time for all the eggs to hatch. To achieve this, the collector bays are moved using passive mechanical transport according to a FIFO logic (the last collector bay to arrive flushes out the oldest in the area).

[0042] Once hatched, the neonates fall by gravity onto scrolling bands (110, 160). During their falls, the neonates fall into a slotted gutter and are guided by lateral sides (123, 124; 173, 174) forming inclined planes opening onto longitudinal slots (125, 175) located directly above the scrolling bands (110, 160). Since the neonates are sticky, it is important to carefully choose the material for the surface of the gutters to limit as much as possible the adhesion of the neonates to this surface. Typically, these slotted gutters are made by forming mirror-polished stainless steel sheets, i.e. with a roughness of less than 0.2 microns.

[0043] The neonates are then collected at the end of the scrolling strips (110, 160), but without being stored there. Since the neonates are “sticky”, a specific configuration to properly detach them at the end of the scrolling strips (200, 250) is provided and is described in more detail below.

[0044] To further increase production, the transfer lines and associated equipment can be replicated as many times as necessary and operated in parallel.

[0045] At the end of the moving belts, the automation chain is not broken. The neonates are then pneumatically transported to a cyclone separator (400). This can operate indifferently under overpressure or under vacuum. A simple mechanical system allows this cyclone separator (400) to be opened and closed periodically in order to transport the neonates to the next stage.

[0046] After the cyclone separator (400) and after its periodic opening and closing system, for example a rotary blade lock, a buffer zone is necessary. It thus makes it possible to store the quantity of neonates necessary for continuous production and to ensure a continuous supply of neonates to the downstream phases of the process.

[0047] The various elements of the installation are described below by way of example, in more detail. These various elements can be combined with each other, or combined with other elements fulfilling the same function to form an installation according to the invention. Detail of the egg collector

[0048] The collectors have a rectangular shape with dimensions of 850 mm x 230 mm. Their two faces are grooved. It is in these grooves that the female flies come to lay their eggs during the preliminary egg-laying stage. After the flies have laid their eggs, the collectors are collected, for example by a handling operator, and are grouped together on collector bays (500, 501). Detail of the bay

[0049] A bay is constituted by an open parallelepiped frame (510) formed from an assembly of rigid welded tubes, on which slides are provided, for example formed by transverse roller rails (520 to 525; 530 to 535) between which frames (540 to 545) can be inserted, each supporting a plurality of egg collectors (560) coming from the laying cage.

[0050] These collector bays (500, 501) can support up to 240 collectors. The overall shape of the collector bays is parallelepiped with dimensions 1200 mm x 1000 mm x 1800 mm, the structure is ensured by an external frame thus leaving all the necessary space in the center so that the neonates can fall by gravity once the eggs have hatched. The collectors are suspended from profiles crossing the frame of the collector bay using screws. The frame rests on pads (570, 580).

[0051] The bay bases have a very particular shape to allow them to be easily handled by conventional transporters but also to be compatible with the use of a roller transporter.

[0052] The collector (560) bays (500, 501) are stored in the climate-controlled area on roller bearing rails (121, 122; 171, 172).

[0053] A bay is loaded with frames (540 to 545) on which a series of egg collectors (560) freshly removed from the laying cage have been hung, simultaneously (within the handling time) so that all the collectors contain eggs of the same maturity, the difference in maturity being dependent on the collection rate of the collectors. This time does not generally exceed a few hours.

[0054] Once loaded, it is moved to the transfer line (100, 150) and placed on the roller rails (121, 122; 171, 172). In the example illustrated by the figure 4, the introduction of a new berry pushes downstream the berry or berries (500) already placed on the transfer line. It is possible to move the berries (500, 501) manually, by pushing with the last berry (501) the series of berries already placed on the roller running rails (121, 122; 171, 172), which advances the assembly, and the oldest berry is recovered at the downstream end of the transfer lines (100, 150) to then be returned to the area where the laying cages are located to be reloaded with new egg collectors

[0055] (560).

[0056] The moving strip (110) forms a loop with an upper segment (111) arranged under the slot opening between the two inclined sides, and a lower segment (112) for the return of the moving strip thanks to an upstream roller (113).

[0057] During the stay of a berry on the transfer line, the newborn larvae fall naturally when the eggs hatch and are grouped, thanks to the split gutter, on the surface of the moving belt (110, 160) which advances at a speed making it possible to concentrate the larvae placed on its surface to bring them to a suction system provided at the downstream end of the conveyor. Detail of the upstream part of the transfer line

[0058] The transfer line consists of a frame supporting roller rails (121, 122; 171, 172) for moving the bays (500, 501) above a slotted gutter bringing the newborn larvae which fall from the collectors (560) onto the surface of a moving belt. The frame comprises a motorized mechanism ensuring the driving of this belt by means of drive rollers.

[0059] The neonates should not be excessively glued to the moving strip, as this will make them too difficult to remove. Conversely, they must adhere at least a little so that they do not fall off the strip to the sides and can be transported easily. A suitable material is non-adhesive polyurethane.

[0060] The useful length of the moving belts (110, 160) is 15 m to correspond to the length of the roller conveyor located above, itself determined by the residence time and the number of bays to ensure the targeted production.

[0061] The width of the moving strips is 400 mm: a strip that is too narrow would encourage neonates to escape from the sides, while a strip that is too wide would make it more difficult to manage their detachment at the end of the strip.

[0062] The belt moves at a nominal speed of 0.1 m / s in the same direction as the direction of movement of the berries. Since eggs hatch mainly at the end of their stay in the area, the neonates will therefore mainly fall at the end of the moving belts.

[0063] The storage of these bays (500, 501) is carried out in FIFO (First In First Out). The last bay (500, 501) of collectors to arrive on the roller conveyor pushes out of the zone the one that had been in the zone for the longest time. The movement of the bays is therefore a passive mechanical movement.

[0064] The berries remain in the area for an average of 4 days. This time is determined so that all the eggs have time to hatch and the hatchlings fall by gravity onto the moving belt located under the roller conveyor.

[0065] The roller conveyor has 15 bay locations.

[0066] To guide the newborns in their falls, inclined planes at 55° were installed. Detail of the downstream part of the transfer line

[0067] The moving belt (110, 160) of the transfer line ends with a segment with an upper part (113) and a return part (114) sloping, with an inclination of 45° over a length of 260 mm protected from air currents by a sheet forming a canopy (180). This slope has a double advantage: it increases the residence time of the neonates in the area where they are to be detached, this therefore considerably increases the detachment rate; the neonates upstream which have already been detached slide on the belt and drag with them neonates located downstream and possibly those which were not yet detached.

[0068] This modification of the orientation of the moving strip is carried out by a system of rollers (181, 182, 183).

[0069] A first striker (115) is installed at the end of the moving belt, in its inclined part, in order to vibrate the upper segment (113) of the belt and to help the neonates detach. This is for example an electromagnetic vibrator vibrating at a frequency of a few tens of Hertz and with an amplitude of a few millimeters.

[0070] For greater efficiency, a second striker is added immediately after, in the area between the first striker and the turn roller (181). In this area, the belt tension is highest, allowing for more effective vibrations to promote debonding.

[0071] An airflow system produces a jet of air in counter-current, relative to the direction of travel of the return part (114) of the inclined segment in order to detach the neonates which could remain stuck. The stronger the blowing, the more effective the detachment function will be. On the other hand, the blowing must remain limited so as not to create too strong an air flow on the forward face of the moving belt and risk creating fly-offs and therefore losses of neonates on the forward face of the moving belt. A scraper or brush system can also be added in order to detach the neonates.

[0072] At the downstream end of the moving belt, the assembly is covered as closely as possible. Since neonates are very light, the slightest parasitic airflow can disrupt the system, so it is important to properly cover the assembly to promote preferential airflow and avoid parasitic airflow.

[0073] Finally, at the end of the moving strips, a junction mouth (190) ensures the hooding of the system to allow the neonates to be transported by pneumatic transport to a cyclonic separator (400), at an air speed of between 5 and 10 m / s. This junction piece has a funnel shape to avoid retention.

[0074] In this example of the invention, this assembly consisting of the roller conveyor, the gutter, the inclined planes and the moving belt is installed twice in parallel to have doubled production. The neonates coming from these two parallel assemblies are, on the other hand, pneumatically transported to the same cyclone separator (400). Suction system

[0075] The cyclone separator (400) is formed by a vertical double-walled cylinder, 950 mm in diameter. This cyclone separator (400) allows a limited upward speed of 0.25 m / s. This speed must be low to prevent the neonates from rising. This cyclone separator ends with a rotary blade lock. This rotates continuously, alternating between phases where the neonates pour out and phases where the neonates are blocked in the cyclone separator. The specific design of the lock ensures that this mechanical separation does not damage or crush the neonates. This lock is made of stainless steel to prevent adhesion. To prevent the neonates from being crushed, this lock has 6 blades, which is the minimum number to ensure a good seal. It rotates at a reduced speed of 6 rpm. Doser and vibrating corridor on load cells

[0076] After this cyclonic separator, a dosing step is necessary in order to have the desired quantity of neonates so that the downstream part of the process is carried out optimally. Here, the choice was made to quantify the quantity of neonates by weighing, unlike the prior art which uses optical counting. Weighing has the double advantage of being easy to implement and of being sufficiently precise compared to the need. In addition, given the quantities of neonates targeted for the invention, optical counting can prove limiting, either because of the image processing time, or if the flow of neonates is uninterrupted on the moving belt.

[0077] The weighing unit represented in figure 7comprises a hopper (700) in the upper part in the shape of a funnel to collect the neonates from the cyclonic separator (400). These neonates fall onto the vibrating chute (701). By vibration, this chute (701) pours the neonates little by little into the turning bucket (702) until the desired mass of neonate larvae is reached in this bucket.

[0078] The volume of this funnel-shaped hopper (700), serving as a buffer zone, is defined to ensure good production fluidity. The vibrating chute (701) is operated by a vibration system to prevent clogging and help the neonates to flow.

[0079] As soon as one of the trays of a multi-stage module is ready to be inoculated, the cup (702) is tilted into a funnel and the neonates are pneumatically transported to this tray via a switching system.

[0080] The advantage of this turning bucket (702) is that it allows you to start weighing the next dose directly while inoculation is in progress. This allows operations to be carried out in parallel and therefore provides better production timing. Switching system

[0081] This switching system illustrated by the figure 8 allows larvae to be inoculated into all six trays of a multi-tiered module, without the module needing to be moved. This inoculation is done sequentially, with each tray being inoculated one after the other.

[0082] The distribution device comprises 6 ramps (601 to 606) regularly spaced with a pitch corresponding to the interval of the trays of a multi-stage breeding module. The length of these ramps is determined according to the dimensions of the trays in order to allow the distribution of the neonate larvae over the surface of the breeding medium filling the tray.

[0083] The operation of this 6-way switching system is based on the movement of the movable chute (610) located directly downstream of the funnel. This movable chute (610) changes position to connect to one of the ramps (601 to 606) constituting the feeder chutes of each tray one after the other. A dose can be made every 26 seconds, so only 156 seconds are needed to inoculate an entire multi-stage module. “Intermittent” operation

[0084] All of the elements described above operate in an intermittent sequence. Since the newborns gradually fall onto the moving belts, it is not necessary to run it continuously. However, it is also not possible to stop it for a long time to prevent the newborns from escaping from the sides. The optimal intermittent sequence has been empirically defined as an 8-minute operation period followed by a 5-minute stop, and so on.

[0085] The main advantage of this intermittent operation is to save energy and reduce consumption (particularly compressed air) without having the slightest impact on production, in particular thanks to buffer storage.

Claims

1. An arthropod rearing facility for the production and collection of neonate larvae, comprising a set of cages provided with at least one egg collector (560) laid by the insects present in said cages, a line for transferring the neonate larvae originating from the hatched eggs from each of said collectors (560) towards a conveyor and equipment for concentrating the neonate larvae originating from said conveyor for conveying towards a rearing module or towards a buffer storage container for neonate larvae, characterised in that it further comprises: • a set of bays (500, 501) for grouping a plurality of said egg collectors (560), said bays (500, 501) being open in their lower portions; • said bays (500, 501) being movable between a point for loading with collectors removed from the cages, and said neonate larvae transfer line; • said neonate larvae transfer line being open, without any casing in the upper portion, to receive said bays (500, 501) in the upper portion, and having in the lower portion a guide system with flared walls (123, 124; 173, 174), so-called receptacle, having in its upper portion a width adapted to the section of said bays, and in its lower part an opening (125, 175) adapted to the dimensions of said conveyor (110, 160), said receptacle being configured to group the neonate larvae falling by gravity from said collectors (560) onto the upper surface of said conveyor (110, 160).

2. The facility for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to claim 1, characterised in that said conveyor comprises at least one running belt (110, 160), positioned under the lower opening of said receptacle with flared walls (123, 124; 173, 174).

3. The facility for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to claim 1, characterised in that said conveyor comprises at least one vibrating corridor positioned under the lower opening of said receptacle with flared walls (123, 124; 173, 174).

4. The facility for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said receptacle with flared walls (123, 124; 173, 174) consists of a split gutter having two lateral sidewalls (123, 124; 173, 174) whose lower edges are separated by a longitudinal slot (125, 175).

5. The facility for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to claim 4, characterised in that said receptacle with flared walls (123, 124; 173, 174) comprises in the upper portion means for longitudinally moving said bays (500, 501).

6. The facility for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to claim 2, characterised in that said facility further comprises a suction system and in that said running belt (110, 160) has a horizontal main section extended at its downstream end by an inclined section (113, 114) in the direction of said suction system, a vibrating means (115) acting on the upper section (113) and / or on the lower section (113).

7. The facility for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to claim 2, characterised in that said running belt has a horizontal main section extended at its downstream end by a section inclined in the direction of said suction system, the lower belt (114) of this section being subjected to an air flow directed in the direction opposite to the running of said lower belt (114).

8. The facility for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a pneumatic transport system (300) for conveying the neonate larvae from said conveyor towards a means for distributing said neonate larvae.

9. The facility for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a cyclonic separator (400) formed by a cylinder and / or a vertical cone in which an upward air flow is produced and whose bottom comprises a mechanical and periodic discharge means.

10. The facility for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to the preceding claim, characterised in that said mechanical and periodic discharge means consists of a rotary-vane airlock11. The facility for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a means for metering the amount of neonate larvae by weighing.

12. The facility for the production and collection of neonate larvae according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a switching system for the distribution of neonate larvae collected on the trays of a multi-level module.

13. A method for rearing and collecting neonate larvae of arthropods, comprising the following steps: a) arranging set of cages filled with insects, provided with at least one egg collector enabling the female insects to lay their eggs; b) collecting the neonate larvae falling by gravity into a conveyor ensuring the movement of the neonate larvae by means of said conveyor to a collection means; characterised in that it is proceeded with a step of grouping a plurality of collectors in bays (500, 501) and with a step of moving said bays (500, 501) over an open transfer line comprising a split gutter having two convergent inclined walls (123, 124; 173; 174) defining a slot (125, 175) for pouring the neonate larvae towards said conveyor towards the downstream end for harvesting said neonate larvae.

14. The method for rearing and collecting neonate larvae of arthropods according to claim 13, characterised in that the introduction of a new bay (501) on said transfer line advances the bays already positioned on said transfer line in a downstream direction.