• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.107-113
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• 2013

The black soldier fly larvae are able to decompose various organic wastes such as livestock manures and food wastes. We tested whether the quality of the insect derived compost, i.e. larval feces, was comparable to that of a commercial fertilizer. Chemical analysis of Hermetia. illucens compost was suitable as a fertilizer. When the kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) was raised on the culture soil treated with the H. illucens compost, the growth of leaf area, total dry weight and leaf dry weight increased significantly. The H. illucens compost is thought to act as an increasing factor of RGR (relative growth rate) from the beginning of growth and also had a great effect on the relative growth rate throughout the late stage of growth. There is high statistical significance between NAR (net assimilation rate) and RGR (relative growth rate), but no significance between RGR and LAR (leaf assimilation rate) of the treatments. In addition, the treatment of H. illucens compost promoted the thickness of leaves from the beginning of growth and the tendency of thickening leaves from the beginning of growth and the effect continued throughout the late period of growth. When mixed with 50% of H. illucens compost rather than 25%, it showed the greater effect on the plant growth.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.142-146
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine the possibility of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) as a animal feedstuff. Insect resources have been widely recognized that it exhibits its own biological activity by whole body or its metabolic intermediates. To accomplish this, its general and biological activities were measured. The present study was conducted to compare antioxidant activity of black soldier fly larva, pupa and grasshopper by examining radical scavenging activity using DPPH (2,2 diphenyl 1-picryl hydrazyl). DPPH radical scavenging activity was conducted on the EtOH, MeOH, H2O fractions of black soldier fly larvae. Results showed that black soldier fly pupa on the H2O fraction contained the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity among the samples. FRAP assay are more suitable methods to evaluate antioxidant activity of black soldier fly extracts. Among the samples, the FRAP value showed higher antioxidant activity in the extracts from black soldier fly pupa extract on H2O fraction. These results suggest that black soldier fly larva and pupa extract has antioxidant activity and its fractions can be utilized to develop functional feedstuff.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.227-237
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• 2013

The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, is a generalist detritivore that is usually exploited for recycling environmental wastes, including food remnants. These insects can also be used to produce antibiotics for medical applications. For this purpose, flies need to be mass-reared using an automatic rearing system that generates various sounds. Insects use sound as a means of communication for mating or warning against predators. Thus, extrinsic sounds may interrupt the normal physiological processes of insects. In this study, we analyzed the physiological changes due to various sound treatments at $25^{\circ}C$ and 8:16 h (L:D) photoperiod. At 95 dB, larvae were exposed to different sound frequencies (0-5,000 Hz). The treated larvae were adversely affected by the high-frequency sounds and showed significant reduction in pupation and adult emergence. Different sound intensities (0-105 dB) at 5,000 Hz caused significant changes in the pupation and survival of the adults at 85 dB or above. Under a stress sound condition (5,000 Hz, 95 dB), the BSF larvae exhibited aberrations in the expression of genes related to the immune system and digestion. These results indicate that high-frequency sound treatments at or above 85 dB act as a stress sound to BSF development.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.520-528
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• 2017

The exotic black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, has been paid much attention as an excellent organic matter decomposer. We conducted the nationwide survey and the population genetic study using a mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase 1 gene to understand its genetic diversity and distribution pattern in Korea. The results show that it has successfully settled down in South Korea and there are only 10 haplotypes and the populations of the insect are highly differentiated. The results may indicate that their dispersal was restrained probably due to their short distance flying tendency since their introduction and settlement of only few maternal lineages with certain genotypes in Korea.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.298-305
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• 2013

Soldier fly casts produced by eco-friendly treatment of food waste with American soldier fly was composting cast mixed food waste compost and soldier fly pupa. This study was conducted to evaluate a possibility of soldier fly casts (SFC) as soil amendment by investigating soil properties and zoysiagrass growth. Amendments were selected coco peat, compost and SFC and their ratio mixed with sand were non-amendment (NA), 7% coco peat(Coco), 7% compost (Comp), 3.5% SFC (1/2SFC) and 7% SFC. In soil properties, SFC was increased CEC than NA and T-N, Av-$P_2O_5$ and exchangeable K in soil than Coco. Compared with Coco and Comp, turf quality such as turf color index and chlorophyll index in SFC was higher and root length of zoysiagrass longer. Growth of shoot, runner and root in SFC was increase than that of Coco and Comp. These results indicated that 7% SFC applied as soil amendment was improved growth and quality of zoysiagrass by prompting soil productivity and nutrient availability in soil and root growth.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 2014

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, larvae may depend on indigenous bacteria in the intestine to feed and digest diverse food sources. To prove this hypothesis, we isolated and identified the intestinal bacteria of the black soldier fly for their digestive and antimicrobial abilities. The last instar larvae had long digestive tracts, which were about seven times longer than its body length. An individual of H. illucens larvae possessed a total of $5.0{\pm}10^6$ bacteria in the whole intestine, of which more than 98% bacteria were located in the hindgut. Three different bacterial isolates cultured on nutrient agar (NA) medium were detected in the intestine and identified as Morganella morganii, Providencia rettgeri and Bacillus halodurans by Biolog microbial identification system. Analysis of 16S rDNA sequences of the intestinal bacteria detected the additional bacteria of Proteus mirabilis, Providencia alcalifaciens, and Providencia sp. These intestinal bacteria cultured on NA medium exhibited high resistance to 4 antibiotics and inhibited growth of other microbes which are mainly plant pathogens. Also, these bacteria exhibited catalytic activities to degrade cellulose, lipid, proteins, and carbohydrates. These results suggest that H. illucens larvae possess intestinal bacteria that may play crucial roles in their digestive physiology.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.54 no.1_2
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• pp.17-22
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• 2016

Rearing environment direct effects on oviposition preference of black soldier fly(Hermetia illucens). In this study, the number of egg-filled flutes was surveyed according to the size of adult rearing cages and oviposition media of black soldier fly (BSF). The height of the adult rearing cages were fixed at 2 m and provided different sizes of width and length and released 20,000 BSF adults in the rearing cages. The mean number of BSF egg-filled flutes was 895.4 at $4{\times}4m$ cage, 876.3 at $2{\times}1m$ cage and 62.3 at $1{\times}1m$ cage. Comparison of egg-filled flutes was according to cages material of adult BSF. The mean number of egg-filled flutes were 820.7 and 604.3 at different cage materials such as mosquito net and green house film. The mean numbers of egg-filled flutes were 326.6 in green floral form, 135.2 in green corrugated cardboard and 41.0 in brown corrugated cardboard. And the mean number of egg-filled flutes were similar floral form with the corrugated cardboard was overlapped by floral form such as 57.7 and 64.7. The mean number of egg-filled flutes was 29.0 and 48.2 in 6 mm and 4 mm diameter of oviposition hole.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.584-590
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• 2018

The adults of Hermetia illucens collected in Korea were about the same size as those from their origin. The body part with the largest size variation was the antenna 2 followed by the head width and the abdomen width. It can be the baseline of selection of superior individuals for organic waste decomposition and compost production. In regards to the habitat, the adult Hermetia illucens were collected from 22 of the 51 localities. Although geographical characteristics such as coordinates and altitude may not affect the insects, the presence of organic matters could affect them. The distribution pattern of the insects may act as an indicator of natural recycling of organic wastes.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.67-72
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• 2015

In this study, growth characteristics of insects for mass production was investigated. For Hermetia illucens, the biomass was increased by the supply of the mixture of FWDF with hop cake and typical feed at the early growth stage, however, no difference was shown between 100% of FWDF and the mixture at the late stage. The growth of Housefly larvae was retarded with the 100% of FWDF, resulting in abnormal paputation, hence the amount of FWDF shoud be lowered to 20% to 30% for the efficient growth. Super mealworm larvae was found to grow with little influence by the kind of feed, and none of them was died or inhibited by the supply of FWDF as a feeding source.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2014

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the mixture ratio of soil amendments blended with coco peat (Coco) and American soldier fly cast (SFC) on the physicochemical properties on the sand green. pH and EC of soil were significantly related to mixture ratio of SFC, Mix1, Mix2 and Mix3. Capillary porosity, air-capillary porosity and total porosity of root zone mixed SFC, Coco, Mix1, Mix2 and Mix3 were met to the USGA green specification. The mixture ratios of Mix1 and Mix2 in root zone were positively related capillary porosity and total porosity, and air-capillary porosity was negatively related capillary porosity and hydraulic conductivity. Capillary porosity of Mix1, Mix2 and Mix3 blended SFC and Coco was affected by SFC and Coco, and total porosity by Coco. These results showed that soil amendments blended SFC and Coco was developed capillary porosity and hydraulic conductivity on the USGA sand green than these of SFC.