scholarly journals Nutritional plasticity of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) in response to artificial diets varying in protein and carbohydrate concentrations

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
K.B. Barragan-Fonseca ◽  
G. Gort ◽  
M. Dicke ◽  
J.J.A. van Loon
Keyword(s):  
Egg Production ◽  
Larval Performance ◽  
Artificial Diets ◽  
Larval Body ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Body Protein ◽  
Performance Variables ◽  
High Body ◽  
Adult Performance ◽  
P Concentration

Protein (P) and carbohydrate (C) concentrations present in food affect larval performance, larval body nutrient concentration, and fecundity of the black soldier fly (BSF). We substantially expanded the range of dietary P- and C-concentrations investigated thus far to assess the effects of nutritionally – unbalanced diets on BSF larval and adult life-history traits, and on larval body protein and lipid concentrations. Twenty five artificial diets varying in their P- and C-concentration and ratio were formulated. We tested five macronutrient (P+C) concentrations (5, 15, 25, 50 and 75%) and five P:C ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 2:1 and 4:1). BSF performance was affected by P+C-concentration rather than by P:C ratios. A P-concentration between 10 and 15% and a C-concentration between 10 and 60% supported high larval and adult performance. P-concentration is limiting for most of the performance variables, however, a P-concentration higher than 37% reduced larval survival. C-concentration affected egg production more strongly than P-concentration. Overall, at P+C values of 25 and 50%, and P:C ratios 1:2 and 1:4 resulted in the highest values of most of the larval and adult performance variables we measured. For the protein and carbohydrate sources tested, dietary macronutrient concentrations significantly affected larval and adult performance of BSF in different ways. These results show a remarkable degree of nutritional plasticity, and point to the relevance of differentiating the formulation of diets to achieve maximal larval yield, high body protein or high body lipid accumulation or high adult emergence and egg production.

scholarly journals The effect of Rhodococcus rhodochrous supplementation on black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) development, nutrition, and waste conversion

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
K. Franks ◽  
E. Kooienga ◽  
M. Sanders ◽  
K. Pendarvis ◽  
F. Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Muscle Development ◽  
Protein Composition ◽  
Rhodococcus Rhodochrous ◽  
Larval Body ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Black Soldier Fly Larvae ◽  
Fly Larvae ◽  
Waste Conversion

Black soldier fly larvae are mass produced globally for use as livestock, poultry, and aquaculture feed. Efforts are continuously seeking processes optimising larval rate of growth, size, and waste conversion as a means to lower cost and increase output. Manipulating microbes in the larval substrate (i.e. fermentation or supplementation) has been demonstrated as a potential solution. However, identifying appropriate microbes for use in this process has been limited. The objective of this study was to determine whether supplementing black soldier fly larvae with the oleaginous microbe Rhodococcus rhodochrous would result in accelerated larval development, increased final larval body size, and increased conversion efficiency. Larvae fed a sterile, or non-sterile, diet treated with R. rhodochrous grew 3× faster than the control by the third day and were approximately 2× larger than the control by the conclusion of the experiment. Conversion rate was 2× greater for the treatments indicating less feed would be needed to achieve maximum weight gain. Protein composition of resulting larvae fed diet supplemented with R. rhodochrous, was significantly different than the control not receiving the microbial infusion. Larvae provided the microbe had 4.20 and 2.79% greater fatty acid composition and short-chained fatty acids, respectively, but lower monounsaturated fatty acids (1.60%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (2.4%). Furthermore, larvae provided R. rhodochrous produced significantly more proteins related to energy production and storage, as well as muscle development and contraction, while those sans microbe, produced proteins related to stress responses (e.g. heat shock proteins). While, this study yielded positive results for the inclusion of R. rhodochrous as part of the black soldier fly larval diet, additional research is needed to optimise the dose at an industrial scale.

scholarly journals Ant-Related Oviposition and Larval Performance in a Myrmecophilous Lycaenid

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Trager ◽  
Matthew D. Thom ◽  
Jaret C. Daniels
Keyword(s):  
Egg Production ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Larval Growth ◽  
Oviposition Preference ◽  
Larval Performance ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Miami Blue Butterfly ◽  
Measures Of Performance

We experimentally assessed ant-related oviposition and larval performance in the Miami blue butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri). Ant tending had sex-dependent effects on most measures of larval growth: female larvae generally benefitted from increased tending frequency whereas male larvae were usually unaffected. The larger size of female larvae tended by ants resulted in a substantial predicted increase in lifetime egg production. Oviposition by adult females that were tended byC. floridanusants as larvae was similar between host plants with or without ants. However, they laid relatively more eggs on plants with ants than did females raised without ants, which laid less than a third of their eggs on plants with ants present. In summary, we found conditional benefits for larvae tended by ants that were not accompanied by oviposition preference for plants with ants present, which is a reasonable result for a system in which ant presence at the time of oviposition is not a reliable indicator of future ant presence. More broadly, our results emphasize the importance of considering the consequences of variation in interspecific interactions, life history traits, and multiple measures of performance when evaluating the costs and benefits of mutualistic relationships.

scholarly journals Blood serum and BSA, but neither red blood cells nor hemoglobin can support vitellogenesis and egg production in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina K Gonzales ◽  
Hitoshi Tsujimoto ◽  
Immo A Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Blood Serum ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Artificial Diet ◽  
Serum Proteins ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Blood Proteins ◽  
Artificial Diets ◽  
Population Replacement ◽  
Potential Health

Aedes aegypti is the major vector of dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya viruses that put millions of people in endemic countries at risk. Mass rearing of this mosquito is crucial for strategies that use modified insects to reduce vector populations and transmission of pathogens, such as sterile insect technique or population replacement. A major problem for vector mosquito mass rearing is the requirement of vertebrate blood for egg production since it poses significant costs as well as potential health hazards. Also regulations for human and animal use as blood source can pose a significant obstacle. A completely artificial diet that supports egg production in vector mosquitoes can solve this problem. In this study, we compared different blood fractions as dietary protein sources for mosquito egg production. We also tested artificial diets made from commercially available blood proteins (bovine serum albumin (BSA) and hemoglobin). We found that Ae. aegypti performed vitellogenesis and produced eggs when given whole bovine blood, serum, or an artificial diet containing BSA. Conversely, egg production was impaired after feeding of the red blood cell fraction or an artificial diet containing only hemoglobin. Our results indicate that serum proteins, not hemoglobin, may replace vertebrate blood in artificial diets for mass mosquito rearing.

Impact of age, sex, and size on the thermal tolerance of the adult black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
C. Li ◽  
N.F. Addeo ◽  
T.W. Rusch ◽  
A.J. Dickerson ◽  
A.M. Tarone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Production ◽  
Thermal Tolerance ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Thermal Stresses ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Critical Temperatures ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Age And Sex

Thermal stresses from both environmental conditions and organismal crowding are common in mass production of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae). In this study, upper and lower critical thermal (CT) limits (i.e. knockdown CTmax and CTmin) for the adult black soldier fly were determined. Impacts of size, age, and sex on these critical temperatures were also assessed. The CTmax ranged from 45.0-51.0 °C with larger and older adults having a ~1 °C higher CTmax than smaller and younger adults. However, no differences in the CTmax were found between sexes, regardless of age or size. The CTmin ranged from 8.0 to 13.0 °C with larger and older females having a ~1 °C higher CTmin than males and smaller or younger females. While reporting the upper and lower critical temperatures, this study also revealed the thermal breadth (i.e. the range of body temperatures over which organisms can locomote) for adult black soldier flies across age, sex, and size. Based on these data, and when recognising not all fly populations are the same, mass-rearing facilities should determine the CTmax and CTmin for their fly population in order to optimise mating and fertile egg production, and ultimately maximise profits and sales. One degree of temperature can be the difference between success and failure in industrialised facilities.

Effect of Dietary Black Soldier Fly(Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratmyidae) Pupa on Egg Production in Laying Hens

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.-O. Park ◽  
◽  
K.-H. Park ◽  
B.-S. Park ◽  
S.-H. Nam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Egg Production ◽  
Laying Hens ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Hermetia Illucens

scholarly journals Assessment of Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) Diets on Adult Fecundity and Larval Development: Insights Into Employing the Sterile Insect Technique

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiu-Li Hou ◽  
Er-Hu Chen ◽  
Wei Dou ◽  
Jin-Jun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mass Production ◽  
Sterile Insect Technique ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Insect Pest ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Bactrocera Dorsalis ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Pupal Weight ◽  
Artificial Diets

Abstract Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) is a notorious insect pest that attacks diverse vegetables and fruits worldwide. The sterile insect technique has been developed as an environmentally friendly and effective control method that depends on the mass production of target flies. Because dietary yeast (protein) and sucrose (carbohydrate) are important in adult diets, yeast:sucrose (Y:S) mixtures are crucial for the mass-rearing of B. dorsalis. In this study, we found adult diets with different ratios of yeast to sucrose-influenced fecundity, and an extremely high or low Y:S ratios significantly decreased egg production of B. dorsalis. Additionally, the maximum oviposition efficiency was realized at dietary yeast to sucrose ratios of 1:1 and 1:3, suggesting their potential use to produce more eggs for the mass production of B. dorsalis. Here, new gel diets having different yeast concentrations (g/L water) were also assessed for rearing B. dorsalis larvae. Gel diets containing 20 g/L yeast led to a higher pupation, pupal weight and adult eclosion rate, and a shorter developmental time than other yeast concentrations. Moreover, the present gel diet also resulted in greater pupal production and adult emergence rates than previously used liquid and solid artificial diets, revealing that it is suitable for rearing B. dorsalis larvae. This research provides a useful reference on artificial diets mixtures for mass rearing B. dorsalis, which is critical for employing the sterile insect technique.

scholarly journals Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae powder as a larval diet ingredient for mass-rearing Aedes mosquitoes

Parasite ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wadaka Mamai ◽  
Nanwintoum Sévérin Bimbilé Somda ◽  
Hamidou Maiga ◽  
Anna Konczal ◽  
Thomas Wallner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Production ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Bovine Liver ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
High Plasticity ◽  
Brewer’S Yeast ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Brewer's Yeast ◽  
Female Body Size

The mass production of mosquitoes is becoming more wide-spread due to the increased application of the sterile insect technique (SIT) and other genetic control programmes. Due to the variable availability and high cost of the bovine liver powder (BLP) constituent of many current larval diets, there is an urgent demand for new ingredients in order to support sustainable and efficient mosquito production while reducing rearing cost, without affecting the quality of the insects produced. Two black soldier fly (BSF) powder-based diet formulations (50% tuna meal, 35% BSF powder, 15% brewer’s yeast and 50% tuna meal + 50% BSF powder) were tested for their suitability to support the development of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in mass-rearing conditions. Overall, the results indicate that the use of the BSF powder did not negatively impact the development and quality of the produced insects in terms of time to pupation, adult production and male flight ability. Furthermore, depending on the species and diet formulations, there were improvements in some parameters such as female body size, egg production, egg hatch rate and male longevity. BSF powder is a valuable ingredient that can effectively replace costly BLP for the mass production of high quality Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. Both diet formulations can be used for Ae. aegypti showing high plasticity to nutrition sources. However, for Ae. albopictus we recommend the combination including brewer’s yeast.

Validation of Acrylic Paint as a Marking Technique for Examining Mating Success of the Black Soldier Fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (5) ◽  
pp. 2128-2133
Author(s):  
Brittny M Jones ◽  
Jeffery K Tomberlin
Keyword(s):  
Mating Success ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Adult Longevity ◽  
Mating Frequency ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
Adult Behavior ◽  
Acrylic Paint ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Alternative Protein ◽  
Marking Technique

Abstract The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), is mass produced worldwide for use in waste management and the production of an alternative protein for use as feed. However, few publications have explored its adult behavior, particularly mating, as a means to optimize egg production in colony. In addition, there is limited knowledge of appropriate marking techniques to explore the mating behavior of this insect. The goal of this study was to validate water-based acrylic paint pens as a possible marking tool for behavioral studies with adult black soldier flies. Adult black soldier flies (<24-h old) were marked with green, gold, red, or white acrylic paint. Adult longevity, as well as the number of matings (mating success) were recorded for each treatment. Regardless of marking, 1) adult females lived ~7 d, whereas males lived 9 d, 2) mating frequency peaked 2 d after initiation of the experiment, 3) approximately 30% of adults across treatments were recorded mating, and 4) egg production and hatch rate were not affected. This marking technique did not affect the parameters measured, suggesting that it is suitable for experiments requiring a reliable marking technique.

scholarly journals Blood serum and BSA, but neither red blood cells nor hemoglobin can support vitellogenesis and egg production in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina K Gonzales ◽  
Hitoshi Tsujimoto ◽  
Immo A Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Blood Serum ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Artificial Diet ◽  
Serum Proteins ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Blood Proteins ◽  
Artificial Diets ◽  
Population Replacement ◽  
Potential Health

Aedes aegypti is the major vector of dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya viruses that put millions of people in endemic countries at risk. Mass rearing of this mosquito is crucial for strategies that use modified insects to reduce vector populations and transmission of pathogens, such as sterile insect technique or population replacement. A major problem for vector mosquito mass rearing is the requirement of vertebrate blood for egg production since it poses significant costs as well as potential health hazards. Also regulations for human and animal use as blood source can pose a significant obstacle. A completely artificial diet that supports egg production in vector mosquitoes can solve this problem. In this study, we compared different blood fractions as dietary protein sources for mosquito egg production. We also tested artificial diets made from commercially available blood proteins (bovine serum albumin (BSA) and hemoglobin). We found that Ae. aegypti performed vitellogenesis and produced eggs when given whole bovine blood, serum, or an artificial diet containing BSA. Conversely, egg production was impaired after feeding of the red blood cell fraction or an artificial diet containing only hemoglobin. Our results indicate that serum proteins, not hemoglobin, may replace vertebrate blood in artificial diets for mass mosquito rearing.

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