Black Soldier Fly Hermetia illucens (L.): Ideal Environmental Conditions and Rearing Strategies

Endeavours to recycle organic waste utilizing black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens (L.) into waste management and high nutrient biomass development have indeed picked up momentum recently. But there is not much data on their appropriate rearing conditions. Very few studies delineating the fecundity and reproduction capacities of BSFs concluded that the presence of natural sunlight or artificial light with intensity of 110-200 μ mol m2s-1 and above triggers mating and oviposition (about 85-90 %) at successfully higher rates along with ideal temperature (26 to 40 °C) and relative humidity (40-70 %) conditions. Optimum food moisture (50-80%) also plays a vital role in enhancing the consumption rate of waste and therefore the treatment efficiency of the larvae. Significant development of the BSF larvae and the treatment efficiencies were also observed to be governed by the pH of waste and the optimum range was defined to be of 6.0 to 9.0. The type of organic waste also equally influences the development, fecundity, and the lifespan of flies. The present review highlights the significant research that has been conducted with respect to lifecycle of BSFs, under the set of different light combinations (LED and fluorescent lights), temperatures and organic waste composites (protein rich and fat rich substrates). Conclusively, it was inferred that ameliorations in rearing conditions such as investigation of suitable light source, modifications in egg collection and hatching structures and knowledge of biology of flies can further boost the reproductive capability of fly thereby promoting successful insect rearing and mass production.