Nutritional value of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) and its suitability as animal feed – a review

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.B. Barragan-Fonseca ◽  
M. Dicke ◽  
J.J.A. van Loon
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Larval Body ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Hermetia Illucens ◽  
Complete Replacement

The black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens L.; Diptera: Stratiomyidae) has been studied for its capability to convert organic waste to high quality protein, control certain harmful bacteria and insect pests, provide potential chemical precursors to produce biodiesel and for its use as feed for a variety of animals. Nutritional value of BSF larvae is discussed, as well as the effect of biotic and abiotic factors on both larval body composition and performance. Although BSF larvae contain high protein levels (from 37 to 63% dry matter; DM), and other macro- and micronutrients important for animal feed, the available studies on including BSF larvae in feed rations for poultry, pigs and fish suggest that it could only partially replace traditional feedstuff, because high or complete replacement resulted in reduced performance. This is due to factors such as high fat content (from 7 to 39% DM), ash (from 9 to 28% DM), and consequences of processing. Therefore, further studies are needed on nutrient composition, digestibility and availability for target species and on improved methods to process larvae, among other aspects. Additionally, it is clear that factors including quantity and quality of food, temperature, substrate moisture and/or larval crowding can affect BSF performance. However, the biology of BSF, in particular of the adult stage, has not been studied in detail. This review provides background information on the nutritional value of BSF larvae, its suitability as animal feed, biotic and abiotic conditions that affect its performance, and identifies which knowledge is required to ensure more dependable yields of BSF-mass rearing and development of economically feasible methods to take advantage of this species as animal feed.

Impact of age, size, and sex on adult black soldier fly [Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)] thermal preference

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
N.F. Addeo ◽  
C. Li ◽  
T.W. Rusch ◽  
A.J. Dickerson ◽  
A.M. Tarone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Thermal Gradient ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Thermal Preference ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Hermetia Illucens ◽  
Surface Temperatures ◽  
The Impact

Population growth and rapid urbanisation have increased the global demand for animal feed and protein sources. Therefore, traditional animal feed production should be increased through the use of alternative nutrient sources. Insects as feed are beginning to fill this need. One such insect is the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae). However, to more effectively mass produce the black soldier fly, a better understanding of its thermal biology is needed. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of age, size, and sex on adult black soldier fly thermal preference. The thermal preference of adult black soldier flies was determined by exposing flies to a thermal gradient with a range of surface temperatures and monitoring their positions over time. An aluminium plate was used to create a linear thermal gradient where surface temperatures ranged from ~15-60 °C. Flies were distinguished by age (1-d-post-emergence vs 7-d-post-emergence), size (large vs small) and sex (male vs female) to assess whether thermal preference differed by specific life-history traits. Thermal preference for 7-d-post-emergence adults was significantly lower (19.2 °C) than 1-d-post-emergence adults (28.7 °C), respectively. Similarly, small adults selected significantly cooler (21.1 °C) temperatures than large adults (26.9 °C). No significant differences in thermal preferences were found between sex, regardless of age or size. In fact, males and females had similar thermal preference of 23.8 and 24.2 °C, respectively. This study reveals that multiple life-history traits of adult black soldier fly affect their thermal preference, and thus should be taken into consideration by mass rearing facilities to optimize production.

scholarly journals The Effects of Diet Formulation on the Yield, Proximate Composition, and Fatty Acid Profile of the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens L.) Prepupae Intended for Animal Feed

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danieli ◽  
Lussiana ◽  
Gasco ◽  
Amici ◽  
Ronchi
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Growth Yield ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Substantial Effect ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Hermetia Illucens ◽  
High Fiber ◽  
Diet Formulation

The black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens L.) is a very promising insect species due to the ability to convert low-value substrates in highly nutrient feed. This work aimed to study the effect of three nominally isoenergetic diets containing plant ingredients such as barley, alfalfa, and wheat byproducts, formulated to be higher in nonfiber carbohydrates (TMD1), fibers (TMD2), and protein (TMD3) in comparison to an extensively genetic modified cereal (cornmeal)-based diet (C), on the growth, yield, and nutritive traits of BSF prepupae (BSFPs). Three growing trials with four biological replicates were carried out. Proximate and fatty acid analyses were performed on the diets and BSFPs. Feed conversion ratios (FCR), dry matter and nutrient yields, and apparent concentration factors (aBCF) for fatty acids (FAs) were calculated. Diet formulation had a substantial effect on the survival, development rate, and larval yield, but the FCR was unaffected. The BSFPs fed TMD3 did not result in a higher crude protein content in comparison to the C or TMD2 diets. Despite the leveled fat content of the diets, BSFPs reared on TMD1 were highest in fat, saturated FA, and fat yield. An apparent bioconcentration factor (aBCF) value lower than unity that was found for the unsaturated FA suggests that the BSFPs inefficiently absorb them from the diet or possibly turn them into saturated FA. However, the unsaturated FA accumulation in BSFPs depended on the levels that were found in the diet, which suggested some possibilities for the FA profile modulation. Overall, the TMD2 performed well despite the low-value of its main ingredients and high fiber content and can be considered to be a feasible option for the mass rearing of BSFPs that are intended for animal feed.

scholarly journals Utilization of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens Linnaeus) Larvae as a Protein Source for Fish Feed: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Nkirote Nairuti ◽  
Sonnia Nzilani Musyoka ◽  
Mourine Jesire Yegon ◽  
Mary Adhiambo Opiyo
Keyword(s):  
Fish Meal ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Fish Feed ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Hermetia Illucens ◽  
Complete Replacement ◽  
Feed Formulation ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Production Increase ◽  
The Cost

Aquaculture plays a major role in curbing malnutrition and food insecurity. Nonetheless, aquaculture sustainability is threatened by expensive fish feeds due to the overreliance on fish meal (FM) as the main source of protein. Fish meal is not only expensive but also scarce due to declining capture fisheries and competition from other animal feed producers. This has prompted research on potential FM replacers, amongst them the black soldier fly (BSF) larvae (Hermetia illucens). The BSF larvae can effectively convert organic wastes into a potential valuable feed source, and its high nutritional content (crude protein of up to 64% dry matter) is vital for fish feed formulation. Nevertheless, there are no documented studies on the complete replacement of FM in the diets of fish using BSF larvae. Therefore, the current study reviewed 107 research publications related to BSF larvae vis-a-visfish feeds production to build capacity for existing theories, identify gaps, and suggest new and further research directions, based on the previous studies available in the area of larvae production and utilization in aquaculture nutrition. The study results are expected to help farmers make an informed decision on how to reduce the cost of fish production, increase yields, thus promoting food security, livelihoods, and ecological balance.

scholarly journals A high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly of the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens L.)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas N Generalovic ◽  
Shane A McCarthy ◽  
Ian A Warren ◽  
Jonathan M D Wood ◽  
James Torrance ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Assembly ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Repetitive Sequences ◽  
Genomic Variation ◽  
Runs Of Homozygosity ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Hermetia Illucens ◽  
Chromosome Conformation ◽  
Important Species

Abstract Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) is an increasingly important species for bioconversion of organic material into animal feed. We generated a high-quality chromosome-scale genome assembly of the BSF using Pacific Bioscience, 10X Genomics linked read and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture sequencing technology. Scaffolding the final assembly with Hi-C data produced a highly contiguous 1.01 Gb genome with 99.75% of scaffolds assembled into pseudochromosomes representing seven chromosomes with 16.01 Mb contig and 180.46 Mb scaffold N50 values. The highly complete genome obtained a BUSCO completeness of 98.6%. We masked 67.32% of the genome as repetitive sequences and annotated a total of 16,478 protein-coding genes using the BRAKER2 pipeline. We analysed an established lab population to investigate the genomic variation and architecture of the BSF revealing six autosomes and an X chromosome. Additionally, we estimated the inbreeding coefficient (1.9%) of a lab population by assessing runs of homozygosity. This provided evidence for inbreeding events including long runs of homozygosity on chromosome five. Release of this novel chromosome-scale BSF genome assembly will provide an improved resource for further genomic studies, functional characterisation of genes of interest and genetic modification of this economically important species.

scholarly journals Isolation and Identification of Dominant Bacteria From Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) Envisaging Practical Applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Gorrens ◽  
Laurence Van Moll ◽  
Lotte Frooninckx ◽  
Jeroen De Smet ◽  
Leen Van Campenhout
Keyword(s):  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Isolation And Identification ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Hermetia Illucens ◽  
Strain Collection ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Black Soldier Fly Larvae ◽  
Fly Larvae ◽  
Dominant Bacteria

This study aimed to establish a representative strain collection of dominant aerobic bacteria from black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens, BSFL). The larvae were fed either chicken feed or fiber-rich substrates to obtain a collection of BSFL-associated microorganisms. Via an approach based on only considering the highest serial dilutions of BSFL extract (to select for the most abundant strains), a total of 172 bacteria were isolated. Identification of these isolates revealed that all bacteria belonged to either the Proteobacteria (66.3%), the Firmicutes (30.2%), the Bacteroidetes (2.9%) or the Actinobacteria (0.6%). Twelve genera were collected, with the most abundantly present ones (i.e., minimally present in at least three rearing cycles) being Enterococcus (29.1%), Escherichia (22.1%), Klebsiella (19.8%), Providencia (11.6%), Enterobacter (7.6%), and Morganella (4.1%). Our collection of dominant bacteria reflects largely the bacterial profiles of BSFL already described in literature with respect to the most important phyla and genera in the gut, but some differences can be noticed depending on substrate, biotic and abiotic factors. Furthermore, this bacterial collection will be the starting point to improve in vitro digestion models for BSFL, to develop mock communities and to find symbionts that can be added during rearing cycles to enhance the larval performances, after functional characterization of the isolates, for instance with respect to enzymatic potential.

scholarly journals FIRST RECORD OF HERMETIA ILLUCENS (LINNAEUS, 1758) – BLACK SOLDIER FLY, FROM NEPAL

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-23
Author(s):  
Biplov Sapkota ◽  
Shristi Upadhyaya ◽  
Anuj Lamichhane ◽  
Rajendra Regmi ◽  
Kuldip Ghimire ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Waste ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
First Record ◽  
Feed Ingredient ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Hermetia Illucens ◽  
Animal Feeding ◽  
Simple Systems ◽  
First Time

Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758)- Black soldier fly is a beneficial insect which has been used in simple systems, to treat organic waste efficiently and rapidly, and to produce animal feed ingredient and fertilizer as end products. These flies are naturally found in warmer parts of the globe. The incidence of Black soldier fly was recorded for the first time in Nepal in between April and May 2020 in the sub urban area of Chitwan District, Nepal. Identification of the insect was done in the Laboratory of Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal. Both adult and larval forms of the insect were identified based on the study of morphological characteristics of captured specimens using simple microscope and stereomicroscope. The record of this insect in Nepal opens up a new dimension for its use in bio-systems to treat organic waste and produce more sustainable ingredient for animal feeding, and rich fertilizer to be used in agriculture.

scholarly journals Effects of insecticides on mortality, growth and bioaccumulation in black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0249362
Author(s):  
Nathan Meijer ◽  
Theo de Rijk ◽  
Joop J. A. van Loon ◽  
Lisa Zoet ◽  
H. J. van der Fels-Klerx
Keyword(s):  
Animal Feed ◽  
Accumulation Factor ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Hermetia Illucens ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Maximum Residue Level ◽  
Sequential Experiments ◽  
Food And Feed ◽  
Black Soldier Fly Larvae

Residues of persistent insecticides may be present in the substrates on which insects are reared for food and feed, which may affect insect growth or survival. In addition, insecticidal substances may bio-accumulate in reared insects. The objective of this study was to assess potential effects of selected insecticides on the growth and survival of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL, Hermetia illucens) and on their safety when used as animal feed. Six insecticides (chlorpyrifos, propoxur, cypermethrin, imidacloprid, spinosad, tebufenozide) with different modes of action were tested in two sequential experiments. Cypermethrin was also tested with the synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO). Standard BSFL substrate was spiked to the respective maximum residue level (MRL) of each insecticide allowed by the European Union to occur in feed; and BSFL were reared on these substrates. Depending on the observed effects in the first experiment, spiked concentrations tested in the second experiment were increased or reduced. At the concentrations applied (1 and 10 times MRL), three of the six tested substances (chlorpyrifos, propoxur, tebufenozide) did not affect the survival or biomass growth of BSFL, compared to the control (non-spiked) treatments. At MRL, imidacloprid stimulated the growth of BSFL compared to the controls. Spinosad and cypermethrin at the MRL level negatively affected growth and survival. The effects of cypermethrin appeared to be augmented by addition of PBO. A mean bio-accumulation factor of ≤0.01 was found in both experiments for all substances–except for cypermethrin, which was comparatively high, but still below 1 (0.79 at 0.1 mg/kg). The lack of accumulation of insecticides in the larvae suggests that there is no risk of larval products being uncompliant with feed MRLs. However, we conclude that insecticides present in substrates may affect growth and survival of BSFL. More research on a larger variety of substances and insect species is recommended.

Legislative landscape of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) as feed

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
S. Alagappan ◽  
D. Rowland ◽  
R. Barwell ◽  
S.M.O. Mantilla ◽  
D. Mikkelsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Feed ◽  
Amino Acid Profile ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Hermetia Illucens ◽  
Suitable Material ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks ◽  
Agricultural Household ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Black Soldier Fly Larvae

The demand for animal-based protein sources is increasing rapidly. The rearing of insects on bioproducts and their subsequent use as feedstock for animals has been receiving a lot of attention lately. Hermetia illucens, black soldier flies are highly investigated insects owing to their ability to reduce and transform different types of wastes, such as agricultural, household, municipal wastes, and human sludge. The nutritional composition and amino acid profile of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) raised on these organic wastes is similar to that of several feed constituents making it a suitable material for feed. However, the commercialisation of BSFL is limited due to prevailing unclear legislative requirements regarding their use as feed. In this paper, the legislative landscape involved in using BSFL as feed in different regions is addressed. European Union, Australia, Canada and USA specifically allow the trade and manufacture of BSFL as feed under specific conditions. Interestingly, most countries where entomophagy is a tradition, lack specific regulations concerning their use as feed and are currently drafting regulatory frameworks. Understanding the legislative layout is essential for harmonising the industrial upscaling of BSFL as animal feed.

scholarly journals Use of Black Soldier Fly Larvae for Food Waste Treatment and Energy Production in Asian Countries: A Review

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
Chul-Hwan Kim ◽  
JunHee Ryu ◽  
Jongkeun Lee ◽  
Kwanyoung Ko ◽  
Ji-yeon Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Organic Waste ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Hermetia Illucens ◽  
Culture Techniques ◽  
Environmentally Safe ◽  
Hermetia Illucens Larvae

Food waste accounts for a substantial portion of the organic waste generated at an increasing rate worldwide. Organic waste, including food waste, is largely subjected to landfill disposal, incineration, and anaerobic digestion; however, more sustainable methods are needed for treating it. Treatment of organic waste using black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae is an environmentally safe and cost-efficient method that has been attracting increasing attention worldwide. Black soldier fly decomposes various types of organic waste and converts them into high-value biomasses such as oils and proteins. This review introduces the trends in research related to the treatment of organic waste by black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) and their bioconversion efficiencies in Asian countries. Perspectives on the growth of BSFL during waste treatment operation and optimal rearing conditions are provided. The trends in studies related to the application of BSFL as biofuel and animal feed are also discussed. Such use of BSFL would be beneficial in Asia, especially in countries where the technology for processing organic waste is not readily available. This review may provide further directions of investigations including culture techniques for industrial scale applications of BSFL in food waste treatment and resource production in Asian countries.

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