Immature Development Time of Hermetia illucens L. in Different Varieties of Feed

Abstract

Larvae of Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) (Black Soldier Fly) are voracious feeders which consume a wide range of organic materials. Thus, they can be used in simple mechanical systems to reduce organic waste and also as a nutritional factor for animal livestock, in the context of recycling the organic matter. In the present study we investigated the effect of two combinations of nutrient substrates on the immature development time of H. illucens. Poultry feed and urban bio-waste (catering organic waste) were used as nutritional substrates in two rates, 150 and 250 mg/larva. Results showed that both the food source and the quantity affected the BSF immature development time significantly. In total, significantly shorter immature development was recorded in poultry feed treatment compared with the catering waste. Moreover, immature development time in the 250 mg/larva/day treatment was significantly shorter compared with the 150 mg/larva/day treatment. Results of the present study could be useful and offer optimal solutions for BSF larvae cultivations, especially in large commercial scale units.