Attachment ability and mating behaviour of the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

Abstract

Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), also known as black soldier fly (BSF), offers an important sustainable approach to waste management and resource recovery, since its larvae can reduce organic waste volumes, transform them into biomass, and generate protein-rich feed, biodiesel precursors, and organic fertilizers. Despite the abundance of information on its larval stage, the reproductive biology of the adult is still poorly understood. The present study, through behavioural tests, cryo-scanning electron microscopy analysis and centrifugal force tester experiments, deepens the knowledge on the mechanical interaction between male tarsi and the body of conspecifics during mating and competition, describes the sexual dimorphism in BSF tarsal attachment devices and provides information on the attachment ability of both sexes to artificial surfaces with different features in terms of roughness and wettability. Further studies comparing adult behaviour in rearing conditions and in the wild are necessary to optimise BSF mass-rearing facilities.