Work

Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens; Diptera: Stratiomyidae) as feed: life history traits across organic substrates

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Poor organic waste management poses significant public and environmental health challenges in many developing countries. The black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens L.) offers a solution by converting organic waste into high-value protein as BSF larval meal for animal feed. This study investigated the effects of five different organic wastes (mixed fruits, mixed vegetables, green cowpeas, rapeseed cake, and bakery waste; chicken feed as a control) on the growth and life-cycle parameters of BSF. Results showed that exposure to a high-protein diet was associated with a high intrinsic growth rate. On the other hand, mixed fruit waste and mixed vegetable waste led to a stable increased growth rate with higher larval weight, while rapeseed cake resulted in poor larval performance. BSF adults emerging from bakery waste-fed larvae survived the longest. This study highlights that an instar-specific feeding regime may be needed to maximize both the intrinsic growth rate and the final larval biomass in BSF.

Source: Bioresource Technology Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.biteb.2025.102435

Authors: Aarati Upreti, Sundar Tiwari, Bhola Gautam, Michael A. Patten, Prabhat Khanal

Institutions: Nord University, Agriculture and Forestry University

Language: English

Topic: Insect Utilization and Effects

Subfield: Insect Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,920