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• Substrate quality affects costs of growth and maintenance in BSF larvae. • Substrate quality affects growth pattern and specific growth rate of BSF larvae. • Substrate quality affects net growth efficiency of BSF larvae. • Metabolic performance affects feed conversion into new biomass in BSF larvae. We have measured growth and respiration in black soldier fly (BSF) larvae fed with mixtures of a low-quality substrate (degassed sludge, DS), and a high-quality substrate (chicken feed, CF) in order to elucidate how substrate quality affect larval metabolism and feed conversion into new biomass. The BSF larvae grew faster and became larger the higher the content of CF was in the substrate. Growth followed a sigmoidal curve from where the specific growth rate was determined and compared to measured specific respiration rates, in order to estimate costs of growth, maintenance metabolism, rates of feed assimilation, and net growth efficiency. Specific feed assimilation rates were similar on all substrate mixtures. Maximal specific growth rates were also affected only little unless the larvae were grown in pure DS. In contrast, the cost of growth and the maintenance metabolism were larger the higher the proportion of DS was. High specific growth rates were, in addition, sustained for shorter periods of the time the more DS was included in the substrate mixtures. In effect, higher proportions of the assimilated feed were spent on respiratory purposes instead of being converted into larval biomass and the net growth efficiency decreased the more DS was included in the substrate mixtures. We conclude that substrate quality may affect the conversion of feed into new biomass via alterations of the metabolic performance of BSF larvae and thereby the overall performance of BSF larval cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The inclusion of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) fat or extruded linseed (LIN) in diets for growing rabbits on meat fatty acids (FA), dimethyl acetals (DMA), oxidative stability and color was evaluated. Forty-eight rabbits with 35 days of age were individually housed, fed one of 4 diets (LIN-Low, 30 g/kg of fat from LIN; LIN-High, 60 g/kg of fat from LIN; BSF-Low, 30 g/kg of BSF fat; BSF-High, 60 g/kg of BSF fat) and slaughtered after 5 weeks. Diets with BSF reduced the intramuscular FA but increased the 12:0 and 14:0 in meat compared to LIN, whereas LIN diets increased the 18:3n-3 deposition in meat. Regressions between FA intake and FA meat concentration indicate that the deposition of 12:0 and 14:0 in the meat of BSF-fed rabbits was lower than the deposition of n-3 PUFA in the meat of LIN-fed rabbits. Overall, lipid profiles of meat from BSF-fed rabbits were less healthy, but meat from LIN-fed rabbits was the more susceptible to oxidation. Highlights • Black soldier fly (BSF) fat was evaluated as a diet ingredient for growing rabbits. • Lauric acid (12:0) comprised 39.5% of total fatty acids present on BSF fat. • Dietary BSF fat decreased intramuscular fatty acid content compared to linseed fat. • BSF fat greatly increases 12:0 and 14:0 (hypercholesterolaemic fatty acids) in meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the use of Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly - BSF) larvae as a new species for use in entomoremediation. The H. illucens larvae effectively reduced the dry mass of polluted corn leaves by an average of 49% after 36 days for both Cd and Zn (50 mg·kg −1 ), which is a better result than that, which can be obtained by one of the standard proposed pretreatments for biomass polluted after phytoextraction: composting. The presence of heavy metals did not significantly affect the dry mass utilization efficiency. Based on this, we proposed the use of H. illucens as a new post-harvest management method of phytoextraction-polluted biomass. Cadmium mostly accumulates in the puparium, while Zn accumulates in the adults. The high Cd content in the puparium further creates possibility of its application in the metal recovery process. It is also proposed that the general definition of entomoremediation be expanded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of partially defatted black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) and mechanically-extracted oil from that same insect (BSFLO) on growth, feed utilization, body composition, gut histology and blood plasma biochemistry of rainbow trout were evaluated over a three-month growth trial. Seven experimental diets containing 0 (Diet A), 6.6 (Diet B), 13.2 (Diet C) and 26.4% (Diet D) BSFLM, and 2.5 (Diet E), 5.0 (Diet F) and 10% (Diet G) BSFLO were randomly allocated to 21,140-l tanks at 30 trout (45.7 ± 1.4 g) per tank. To estimate the nutrient digestibility of these ingredients, Diet A was supplemented with 0.5% titanium dioxide and served as the Reference diet to create two test diets containing 80% of the Reference diet combined with 20% of defatted BSFLM (diet B-test) and 20% of BSFLO (C-test). Water temperature was maintained at 13.9 ± 0.3 °C in both trials. Growth performances, measured using the thermal-unit growth coefficient (TGC), were high with TGC values ≥ 0.260, regardless of BSFLM or BSFLO inclusion. Feed conversion ratios (FCR) were ≤ 0.91. However, TGC was significantly lower with Diet D (26.4% BSFLM) ( P  < .020) and FCR values increased significantly at each increment level of BSFLM ( P  < .05). There was a negative relationship between relative body protein content and dietary inclusion of BSFLM, but not BSFLO ( P  < .001). Hydroxyproline was the sole amino acid that increased in trout fed BSFLM or BSFLO. The inclusion of BSFLM and BSFLO had no impact on the histology of the posterior intestine, but villi in the anterior intestine of trout fed Diet D (26.4% BSFLM) was significantly shorter relative to the Control (1035 ± 146 μm vs. 1176 ± 160 μm). There was a negative relationship between blood glucose and BSFLO inclusion level, which suggested BSFLO had some antihyperglycemic effect in fasted rainbow trout. The ADCs of protein and amino acid in BSFLM varied between 87 and 93%, but the digestibility of lipid and dry matter in BSFLM was relatively low at 73 and 75%, respectively. The digestibility of hydroxyproline was significantly superior in diets containing BSFLM or BSFLO than in the Reference diet ( P  = .014). Based on these results, the maximum inclusion of BSFLM recommended in rainbow trout diets is 13%. The maximum inclusion of BSFLO could potentially be superior to 10%, but this hypothesis needs further study. The enhanced digestibility of hydroxyproline in diets containing BSFL products has potential benefits for fish fed low fishmeal diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are oleaginous insects that can assimilate organic waste for fat accumulation, and thus serve as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. In lipase-catalyzed transesterification, enzymes are deactivated by excess methanol. To address this obstacle, methyl acetate is suggested as an alternative acyl acceptor to methanol. In this study, methyl acetate was first used in the enzymatic production of biodiesel with BSFL as a triglyceride source. The interesterification of BSFL fat with methyl acetate was catalyzed using Novozym 435 as an efficient immobilized lipase. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the reaction and establish a reliable mathematical model for prediction. A maximum biodiesel yield of 96.97% was reached at a reaction time of 12 h, molar ratio of methyl acetate to fat of 14.64: 1, enzyme loading of 17.58%, and temperature of 39.5 °C. Under these optimal reaction conditions, Novozym 435 could be reused for up to 20 cycles without loss in enzyme activity. The properties of BSFL biodiesel were also investigated and all met the European standard EN 14214. This study indicates that the enzymatic interesterification of BSFL fat with methyl acetate is a promising and ecofriendly method for green fuel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prepupae of the black soldier fly (BSF) are a potential source of high value protein that could be incorporated in feed for monogastric farm animals. These prepupae are also rich in fat, with lauric acid (C12:0) as the predominant fatty acid, known for its antimicrobial effects on Gram positive bacteria. First, the effects of BSF fat on the porcine gut microbiota were assessed in vitro by simulating digestion in the upper small intestine of piglets. Different amounts of BSF fat were added to an incubation medium, which contained a synthetic diet, a phosphate buffer (pH 5) and a microbial inoculum from one donor piglet. The medium was incubated at 37 °C for 4 h. Using selective media, coliforms, D-streptococci, lactobacilli and total anaerobic bacteria were counted on aliquots taken at the end of the incubations. Second, weaned piglets were reared on diets including full-fat (4 and 8%) and defatted (5.4%) BSF prepupae and compared to a control diet (i.e. with soybean as protein and fat source). Next to the effects on gut microbiota, selected gut health parameters were investigated, performance was recorded and digestibility of the diets was calculated. In vitro , the prepupal fat at 0.58 g C12:0/100 mL, suppressed growth of lactobacilli, but the most substantial antibacterial effects were recorded against D-streptococci. At the highest inclusion level (equivalent to 0.87 g C12:0/100 mL), around 2 log fold reductions of D-streptococci were observed. From the animal trial, only 0.5 log fold reductions were observed for D-streptococci in the gut of piglets fed BSF containing diets. No differences were recorded for daily gain, feed intake and feed to gain ratio among treatments. The apparent fecal digestibility of the control feed did not differ significantly to that of the insect-containing feed (protein digestibility between 77 and 78% for all treatments). Whereas the ileal protein digestibility of the 8% full-fat BSF diet (67.4%) was lower than that of the control (69.7%), the values for the 4% full-fat and the defatted BSF diets were higher (73.3%). In conclusion, our trial with piglets showed that a substantial amount of soybean products (meal and/or toasted beans) can be replaced by BSF without adverse effects on performance. However, given that the current price of BSF prepupae is substantially higher than that of soybean, future research should focus on exploring the potential added value of BSF compared to conventional protein sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), oleaginous insects, can assimilate several organic wastes for fat accumulation, thus serving as a promising feedstock for biodiesel production. In this study, the transesterification of BSFL fat and methanol was catalyzed using lipases to produce environmentally friendly biodiesel. Different commercial lipases were evaluated for their catalytic activity in the reaction. Among the examined biocatalysts, Novozym 435, an immobilized enzyme, showed the highest activity level. Response surface methodology was subsequently used to optimize the lipase-catalyzed reaction and to develop a reliable empirical model for prediction. A maximum biodiesel yield of 96.18% was obtained at a temperature of 26 °C, methanol:fat molar ratio of 6.33, enzyme loading of 20%, and reaction time of 9.48 h. Under the optimal reaction conditions and enzyme regeneration process, Novozym 435 could be reused up until 20 times, yielding 92.5% biodiesel. The properties of BSFL biodiesel were also studied; all the properties met the standard EN 14214. This study suggests that the lipase-catalyzed conversion of BSFL fat to biodiesel is a promising method toward producing a green alternative fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 59-days feeding trial was carried out to estimate the effects of fish meal replacement by defatted black soldier fly larvae meal (DBSFLM) on growth performance, antioxidate enzyme activities, digestive enzyme activities, hepatopancreas and intestinal morphology in Jian carp ( Cyprinus carpio var. Jian) juveniles (initial mean body weight, 34.78 g). Five isolipidic (5.29 ± 0.04%) and isoprotein (40.69 ± 0.11%) diets were formulated by replacing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% fish meal (FM) protein with graded DBSFLM levels of 0%, 2.6%, 5.3%, 7.9% and 10.6%. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 20 fish per aquarium. Fish were fed three times daily to apparent satiation. The results showed that the growth performance and nutrients utilization of fish in five groups were not different ( P > 0.05). The hepatopancreas lipid and serum cholesterol content of treated groups was significantly lower than that of the control group ( P < 0.05). With increasing dietary DBSFLM level, the activity of the CAT significantly increased. No significant differences in the activity of intestinal protease, lipase and diastase were observed among dietary groups ( P > 0.05). The histological examination of intestine showed that when 75% or more FM protein was replaced, apparent pathological changes for example tissue disruption were observed in intestine, and relative gene expression of HSP70 in hepatopancreas significantly increased ( P < 0.05). The histological examination of hepatopancreas sections showed less vacuolated with lipid deposits in treatment groups compared with control group. These results suggested that the growth of Jian carp was not affected by dietary DBSFLM, while it boosted antioxidant status of Jian carp by higher CAT activity. However, dietary stress and intestinal histopathological damage was observed when the replacement levels exceeded 75%. The study demonstrates that it is suitable to replace up to 50% of dietary FM protein with DBSFLM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feeding trial was carried out to assess the effect of partially replacing fish meal (FM) by Black soldier fly pre-pupae meal (HM) in diets for European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax juveniles. A FM-based diet was used as a control and three other diets were formulated to include 6.5%, 13%, and 19.5% of HM, replacing 15%, 30% and 45% of FM respectively. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of fish (initial weight: 50 g) for 62 days. At the end of the trial, there were no differences among groups in growth performance or feed utilization. Plasma metabolic profiles also remained unaffected, except that plasma cholesterol was reduced with dietary HM inclusion. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of protein, lipids, dry matter, organic matter, and energy were generally high, and not affected by the dietary treatment. The ADC of arginine, histidine, and valine were higher in HM diets when compared to the control. Amylase and protease activities were not affected by dietary HM, while lipase activity was lower in HM 6.5 diets than in the control and HM 19.5 diets. In conclusion, up to 19.5% of HM, corresponding to 22.5% of total dietary protein, may successfully replace FM in diets for juvenile European seabass, without adverse effects on growth performance, feed utilization or digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing numbers of dairy farms cause massive manure production and its improper disposal poses threats to the environment. Larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF) have the potential to convert this animal manure into valuable biomass; however, the high fiber content of dairy manure (DM) makes conversion difficult. Therefore, the goal of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of co-digestion of DM with another ecologically problematic waste source: soybean curd residue (SCR). The waste sources were fed to BSF larvae using different mixing ratios. DM and SCR mixed in a ratio of 2:3 was found to result in the best outcome measures: development time (21 days), survival rate (98.4%), waste mass reduction (75.4% wet and 56.6% dry waste mass), bioconversion (11.6% on wet and 14.6% dry mass base), feed conversion ratio (6.4 wet and 4.0 dry), nutrient utilization (nitrogen, 62.1%; phosphorus, 52.9%; carbon, 66.4%), and fiber content reduction (cellulose, 64.9%; hemicellulose, 63.7%; lignin, 36.9%). Analysis of the structural changes of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin by scanning electron microscopy let us assume that black soldier fly larval activity did leads to structural modifications of the fibers. We assume that those alterations of surface and texture are in favour of associated bacteria and thus contribute to waste reduction and larval growth. Our results show that co-conversion of DM with soybean residues by Hermetia illucens could play a vital role in DM management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stratiomyidae, or soldier flies, are a relatively primitive and diverse group of Brachycera, but definitive stratiomyids from the Mesozoic are rare. Here we describe the first soldier fly, Lysistrata burmensis sp. nov., in the mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar. The new species mostly resembles Lysistrata emerita Grimaldi and Arillo from the upper Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber and Montsecia martinezdelclosi Mostovski from the Lower Cretaceous Montsec Formation of Spain based on the general characters of venation, antennae and cerci. The new form displays an unusual feature (tibial spurs formula 0-1-0) that is confined exclusively to the modern genus Allognosta Meigen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, is recognised for its use in a forensic context as a means for estimating the time of colonisation and potentially postmortem interval of decomposing remains. However, little data exist on this species outside of its use in waste management. This study offers a preliminary assessment of the development, and subsequent validation, of H. illucens. Larvae of H. illucens were reared at three temperatures (24.9°C, 27.6°C and 32.2°C) at 55% RH on beef loin muscle, pork loin muscle and a grain-based diet (control). Each of the temperatures and diets were found to significantly (P<0.05) affect all stages of immature growth except for pupation time. Overall, those reared on the pork diet required on average ≈23.1% and ≈139.7% more degree hours to complete larval development than those reared on the beef and grain-based diets, respectively. Larvae reared at 27.6°C and 32.2°C required on average ≈8.7% more degree hours to complete development and had a final larval weight ≈30% greater than larvae reared at 24.9°C. The validity of the laboratory larval length and weight data sets was assessed via estimating the age of field-reared larvae. Grain-diet data lacked accuracy when used to estimate larval age in comparison to estimates made with beef and pork-diet data, which were able to predict larval age for ≈55.6% and ≈88.9% of sampling points, respectively, when length and weight data were used in conjunction. Field-reared larval sizes exceeded the maximum observed under laboratory conditions in almost half of the samples, which reduced estimate accuracy. Future research should develop additional criteria for identifying development of each specific instar, which may aid in improving the accuracy and precision of larval age estimates for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hermetia illucens larvae by nature are a decomposer which fed on organic wastes. This study explores the potential of producing biodiesel using lipids from H. illucens larvae. Three types of organic wastes (sewage sludge, fruit waste and palm decanter cake from oil palm mill) were selected based on considerable generation and disposal concern in the area of study as well as lack of investigations as feed for Hermetia illucens larvae in current literatures. Growth rate of the larvae was determined with studying the changes in the biomass per day. H. illucens larvae fed with fruit waste and palm decanter cake have shown growth rates of 0.52 ± 0.02 and 0.23 ± 0.09 g d −1 , respectively. No positive sign of growth were observed in the larvae fed with treated sewage sludge (−0.04 ± 0.01 g d −1 ). Biodiesel as fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) was synthesized by transesterification of the larvae lipid using sulphuric acid as catalyst in methanol. FAME produced was ascertained using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and GC–MS. The main compositions of fatty acid were found to be C12:0, C16:0 and C18:1n9c. Fatty acid composition of C12:0 fed with fruit waste, sewage sludge and palm decanter was found to be most abundant in the larvae lipid. The amount of C12:0 obtained was 76.13%, 58.31% and 48.06%, respectively. In addition, fatty acid of C16:0 was attained at 16.48% and 25.48% fed with sewage sludge and palm decanter, respectively. Based on the findings, FAME derived from larvae lipids is feasible to be used for biodiesel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioenergy has become attractive as alternatives of gradually exhausted fossil fuel. Obtaining high grade bioenergy from lignocellulose is attractive that can gradually meet the demand. This study reported biogas and biodiesel were produced from corncob by a two-step bioprocess, biogas was produced from corncob by anaerobic fermentation, then biogas residue was converted by black soldier fly larvae, and then biodiesel was produced from larvae grease. 86.70 L biogas was obtained from 400 g corncob with the accumulation of biogas yield of 220.71 mL/g VS added by anaerobic digestion. Besides, 3.17 g of biodiesel was produced from grease after inoculating black soldier fly larvae into 400 g biogas residue. Meanwhile, the results showed that the addition of black soldier fly larvae could be effective for the degradation of lignocellulose and the accumulation of grease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Inadequate and lacking sanitation and wastewater treatment systems can lead to the spreading of diarrhoeal diseases. One contributing factor in the lack of such treatment systems is the lack of economic incentives for stakeholders throughout the service chain. However, the organic fraction of the waste is high in valuable plant nutrients and could be reused in agriculture and as animal feed. For example, grown larvae of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), make an excellent protein source in animal feed, while the feeding activity of the larvae substantially reduces the dry mass of the treated material. This study examined the effect of black soldier fly larvae on the concentration of pathogenic microorganisms in human faeces and found a 6 log10 reduction in Salmonella spp. in human faeces in eight days, compared with a <2 log10 reduction in the control. No increased reduction was observed for Enterococcus spp., bacteriophage ΦX174 or Ascaris suum ova. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Larvae of black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) are commercially produced on agricultural waste streams and convert these into animal body protein and fat. A feeding trial was carried out for 56days in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) by replacing fish meal protein subsequently by Hermetia meal (HM) protein. Six diets were formulated for the replacement and contained 0%, 17%, 33%, 49%, 64%, and 76% of HM (54.1±1.1% crude protein, 13.4±0.7% crude lipid, dry matter basis). The diets were fed to triplicate groups of turbot 54.9±0.9g once a day by hand until apparent satiation. Feed intake was affected by dietary HM inclusion and decreased with increasing HM incorporation due to low palatability. Growth performance was high, but affected by dietary HM inclusion. SGR was lower in all treatments containing HM whereas FCR was significantly higher at HM inclusion levels>33%. Protein retention was highest at HM inclusion≤33% and decreased significantly with increasing HM supplementation. Whole-body protein content was not affected by treatment, while body lipid decreased with increasing HM inclusion levels. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of HM were low for organic matter, crude protein, crude lipid, and gross energy. Chitinase activity or chitinolytic active bacteria were not detected in the mid gut of turbot. The presence of chitin might have influenced the feed intake, availability, and digestibility of the nutrients and therefore growth performance. In general, our study shows that the incorporation of HM protein in fish diets is possible, but limited by its low nutritive value. Considering that HM is produced on local greenhouse waste streams, HM might be a feasible alternative protein source for the partial replacement of fish meal. Further research on HM meal processing to increase nutrient utilization is needed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Biodiesel is a promising alternative diesel fuel which has increased worldwide public interest in a number of countries including China. But the high cost of producing biodiesel from feedstock, predominately food grade oils, limited its economic feasibility. An alternative of using grease extracted from restaurant waste to produce biodiesel is a potential low cost approach. However, this approach generates a significant large quantity of solid residual fraction which required proper disposal. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of a secondary biodiesel production from the solid residual fraction of restaurant waste after typical grease extraction (SRF) employing a high fat containing insect, black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens. The SRF was sampled and fed to black soldier fly larvae. The resulting larval biomass was used for crude grease extraction by petroleum ether. The extracted crude grease was then converted into biodiesel by acid-catalyzed (1% H2SO4) esterification and alkaline-catalyzed (0.8% NaOH) transesterification. About 23.6 g larval grease-based biodiesel was produced from approximately 1000 larvae grown on 1 kg of SRF. The weight of SRF was reduced by about 61.8% after being fed by the black soldier fly larvae for 7 days. The amount of biodiesel yield from restaurant waste was nearly doubled (original restaurant waste grease, 2.7%; larval grease, 2.4%). The major methyl ester components of the biodiesel derived from black soldier fly larvae fed on SRF were oleinic acid methyl ester (27.1%), lauric acid methyl ester (23.4%), and palmitic acid methyl ester (18.2%). Most of the properties of this biodiesel met the specifications of the standard EN 14214, including density (860 kg/m3), viscosity (4.9 mm2/s), flash point (128 °C), cetane number (58) and ester contents (96.9%). These results indicated that black soldier fly larval biomass obtained from larvae reared on SRF could potentially be used as a non-food feedstock for biodiesel production. This approach not only enhances the efficiency of biodiesel production from restaurant waste, it also helps to better manage and significantly reduce the large quantity of solid residual fraction produced during the process of biodiesel production using restaurant waste. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Biodiesel is a renewable and environmentally friendly liquid fuel. However, the feedstock, predominantly crop oil, is a limited and expensive food resource which prevents large scale application of biodiesel. Development of non-food feedstocks are therefore, needed to fully utilize biodiesel’s potential. In this study, the larvae of a high fat containing insect, black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) (BSFL), was evaluated for biodiesel production. Specifically, the BSFL was grown on organic wastes for 10days and used for crude fat extraction by petroleum ether. The extracted crude fat was then converted into biodiesel by acid-catalyzed (1% H2SO4) esterification and alkaline-catalyzed (0.8% NaOH) transesterification, resulting in 35.5g, 57.8g and 91.4g of biodiesel being produced from 1000 BSFL growing on 1kg of cattle manure, pig manure and chicken manure, respectively. The major ester components of the resulting biodiesel were lauric acid methyl ester (35.5%), oleinic acid methyl ester (23.6%) and palmitic acid methyl ester (14.8%). Fuel properties of the BSFL fat-based biodiesel, such as density (885kg/m3), viscosity (5.8mm2/s), ester content (97.2%), flash point (123°C), and cetane number (53) were comparable to those of rapeseed-oil-based biodiesel. These results demonstrated that the organic waste-grown BSFL could be a feasible non-food feedstock for biodiesel production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, is beneficial because its larvae feed on organic materials derived from plants, animals and humans and promote the recycling of food waste and organic materials. We investigated the biochemical properties of digestive enzymes released from the salivary gland and gut of the black soldier fly. Because the gut extracts of the black soldier fly larvae had high amylase, lipase and protease activities, we suggested that the black soldier fly might belong to the polyphagous insect group. In addition, a strong trypsin-like protease activity was observed in the gut extracts of the black soldier fly larvae. Higher activities of leucine arylamidase, α-galactosidase, β-galactosidase, α-mannosidase and α-fucosidase were observed from the gut extracts of the black soldier fly larvae compared with those of house fly larvae. These findings may explain previous reports that the black soldier fly larvae can digest food wastes and organic materials more efficiently than any other known species of fly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new genus and species of Stratiomyidae, Gigantoberis liaoningensis, is described from the Lower Cretaceous of western Liaoning Province based on a well-preserved, complete specimen. This is the first fossil record of a soldier fly so far described from China. It was armed with a specialized mouth part (proboscis and labella) and its huge body and short wings imply that it was a pollen eater and a poor flier. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Green fluorescent protein-labeled Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis were inoculated at 107 CFU/g into cow, hog, or chicken manure. Ten- or 11-day-old soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens L.) (7 to 10 g) were added to the manure and held at 23, 27, or 32°C for 3 to 6 days. Soldier fly larvae accelerated inactivation of E. coli O157: H7 in chicken manure but had no effect in cow manure and enhanced survival in hog manure. The initial pH values of the hog and chicken manure were 6.0 to 6.2 and 7.4 to 8.2, respectively, and it is surmised that these conditions affected the stability of the larval antimicrobial system. Reductions of E. coli O157:H7 populations in chicken manure by larvae were affected by storage temperature, with greater reductions in samples held for 3 days at 27 or 32°C than at 23°C. Pathogen inactivation in chicken manure by larvae was not affected by the indigenous microflora of chicken manure, because Salmonella Enteritidis populations in larvae-treated samples were approximately 2.5 log lower than control samples without larvae when either autoclaved or nonautoclaved chicken manure was used as the contaminated medium during 3 days of storage. Extending the storage time to 6 days, larvae again accelerated the reduction in Salmonella Enteritidis populations in chicken manure during the first 4 days of storage; however, larvae became contaminated with the pathogen. After 2 days of feeding on contaminated manure, Salmonella Enteritidis populations in larvae averaged 3.3 log CFU/g. Populations decreased to 1.9 log CFU/g after 6 days of exposure to contaminated chicken manure; however, the absence of feeding activity by the maggots in later stages of storage may be responsible for the continued presence of Salmonella Enteritidis in larvae. Transfer of contaminated larvae to fresh chicken manure restored feeding activity but led to cross-contamination of the fresh manure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two different stratiomyomorphan larvae are described and illustrated based on two well-preserved specimens from the mid-Cretaceous amber of Myanmar. They both exhibit the diagnostic feature of the Stratiomyomorpha: integument hardened and shagreened with small rounded facets. One of the larvae (form 1) presents distinctive morphological characters of both Stratiomyidae and Xylomyidae: prothoracic and mesothoracic segments with normal shagreened pattern on dorsum and venter, a transverse row of teeth developed before the anal cleft, and anal plates bordered with a row of similar teeth. These features may indicate that form 1 occupies a basal position within the clade Xylomyidae + Stratiomyidae. This new material is the first record of stratiomyomorphan larvae from Burmese amber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article presents the first record of Hermetia illucens larvae on a human corpse in Spain (the second case report in Europe). Prepupae of H. illucens, and other insects, were recovered from the dead body of a 72-year-old man in an advanced stage of decomposition. The body was located in Reus (NE Spain), in October 1998. This article provides additional biological data on experimental studies and an update on the geographic distribution of this species in the Iberian Peninsula. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]