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Unexplored Potentials of the Black Soldier Fly: Behavioral Ecology, Reproductive...
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Unexplored Potentials of the Black Soldier Fly: Behavioral Ecology, Reproductive Efficiency, and Ecological Contributions

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2026) | Viewed by 9122

Editors

Dr. Sihem Dabbou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all’Adige, TN, Italy
Interests: Hermetia illucens; Tenebrio molitor; animal nutrition; alternative protein sources
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marco Meneguz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
BEF Biosystems s.r.l., Strada di Settimo 224/15, 10156 Torino, TO, Italy
Interests: entomology; insect rearing; Hermetia illucens; Tenebrio molitor; welfare; animal nutrition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Insects and, particularly the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.), have attracted a lot of attention for their uses in waste management and as a sustainable supply of protein, presenting potential for creative study. By analyzing how environmental elements like light spectrum, temperature, humidity, and even auditory or vibrational signals impact their behavioral ecology could maximize black soldier fly breeding efficiency. Furthermore, more focus should be placed on the wellbeing and lifespan of insects; studies on physiological markers, such as oxidative stress levels, or stress indicators, such as movement patterns, may yield important information for enhancing productivity and survivability. Studying their diets, in particular how changes in nutritional input impact their fecundity, egg viability, and lifespan, is another exciting approach that could improve reproductive results through customized feeding schedules. Additionally, investigating the ecological functions of the black soldier fly, including its interactions with local species and potential pollination contributions, may deepen our understanding of their environmental significance. Advancement in our knowledge in these fields advances ecological and entomological science more broadly, while also improving insects’ management systems for industrial use.

Dr. Sihem Dabbou
Dr. Marco Meneguz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • black soldier fly
  • Tenebrio molitor
  • adult stage
  • mating behavior
  • waste

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

7 pages, 202 KB  
Article
Vertical Redistribution of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) Under Restricted Airflow
by Shu-Wei Lin and Matan Shelomi
Insects 2026, 17(5), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17050531 - 21 May 2026
Viewed by 549
Abstract
The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758), is a globally farmed insect reared to convert organic waste into useful biomatter and materials. While research on optimizing bioconversion rates and larval development through substrate manipulation has surged, studies on larval behavioral responses to [...] Read more.
The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758), is a globally farmed insect reared to convert organic waste into useful biomatter and materials. While research on optimizing bioconversion rates and larval development through substrate manipulation has surged, studies on larval behavioral responses to abiotic factors lag. This benchtop-scale study is the first to examine larval behavior in response to reduced airflow. The results suggest third to fifth instar H. illucens larvae, which typically burrow within the substrate and avoid the surface, are significantly more likely to aggregate at the surface of their substrate when in a restricted airflow environment. More than half of third instar and nearly all 5th instar larvae aggregated at the surface when airflow was restricted, compared to less than a quarter under ventilated conditions. This data should stimulate future directions of hypothesis building in larval behavioral and physiological responses to airflow with the goal of using behavior modification to facilitate larval production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unexplored Potentials of the Black Soldier Fly: Behavioral Ecology, Reproductive Efficiency, and Ecological Contributions)
20 pages, 939 KB  
Article
Co-Digestion of Olive Pomace and Goat Manure for Hermetia illucens Growth and Potential Coupling with Biogas Production
by Antonio Dolce, Giovanni Lomonaco, Francesco Iannielli, Nazaret Rubiejo Perez, Carmen Scieuzo, Jesus D. Fernandez Bayo and Patrizia Falabella
Insects 2026, 17(5), 508; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17050508 - 16 May 2026
Viewed by 446
Abstract
Olive pomace is an abundant agro-industrial residue whose recalcitrant composition limits its efficient valorisation, highlighting the need for sustainable recovery strategies. This study investigated the use of Hermetia illucens larvae for the bioconversion of olive pomace and its integration with anaerobic digestion to [...] Read more.
Olive pomace is an abundant agro-industrial residue whose recalcitrant composition limits its efficient valorisation, highlighting the need for sustainable recovery strategies. This study investigated the use of Hermetia illucens larvae for the bioconversion of olive pomace and its integration with anaerobic digestion to evaluate the simultaneous recovery of biomass and energy. Larvae were initially reared on olive pomace, goat manure, and their mixture to assess growth performance, survival, and substrate suitability. Subsequently, olive pomace was subjected to thermal pre-treatment and anaerobic digestion with goat manure, and the resulting digestates were reused as substrates for larval rearing. Their phytotoxicity was also evaluated through germination tests on alfalfa. Larval performance was higher on non-digested substrates, confirming the suitability of raw mixtures for insect rearing. Thermal pre-treatment did not result in a significant increase in methane production. In contrast, digestates, particularly those obtained under more severe thermal treatments, resulted in reduced larval growth and survival under the tested conditions and showed variable phytotoxic effects. Overall, although anaerobic digestion enabled energy recovery, its integration with insect-based bioconversion resulted in reduced larval performance under the tested conditions. These findings highlight the importance of optimising substrate treatment to ensure effective integration of insect rearing within circular bioeconomy systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unexplored Potentials of the Black Soldier Fly: Behavioral Ecology, Reproductive Efficiency, and Ecological Contributions)
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11 pages, 661 KB  
Article
Valorization of Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.) Through Bioconversion for Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens): Larvae Growth, Survival Rate, and Nutritional Quality
by Juste Vital Vodounnou, Romaric Iko, Rendani Luthada-Raswiswi, Sèlomè Wilfried Sintondji, Cayen Sédro Alofa, Gildas Djidohokpin, Farokh Niass and Jean-Claude Micha
Insects 2025, 16(10), 1068; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16101068 - 20 Oct 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1724
Abstract
The rapid proliferation of water lettuce, Pistia stratiotes, poses significant ecological challenges. This study investigates the use of Pistia stratiotes as a substrate for producing black soldier fly larvae. The experiment used 40 g of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) pupae for [...] Read more.
The rapid proliferation of water lettuce, Pistia stratiotes, poses significant ecological challenges. This study investigates the use of Pistia stratiotes as a substrate for producing black soldier fly larvae. The experiment used 40 g of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) pupae for all five substrates (T0, T25, T50, T75, and T100). Each treatment had three replicates. The physicochemical parameters, such as the temperature and pH, ranged from 27.30 °C to 27.40 °C and from 7.03 to 7.60, respectively. The survival rates ranged from 90.13% to 94.73%. The biochemical parameters showed significant differences, including dry matter, organic matter, ash, crude protein, crude lipid, crude fiber, carbohydrate, and energy (p < 0.05). Regarding the larvae’s growth and substrate use, the BSFL production varied depending on the rearing substrate. The highest growth was observed in substrates without water lettuce leaf (WLL) (T0), followed by those in treatment at 25% (T25) and 50% (T50) inclusion of WLL and then the substrate made solely of WLL (T100). The substrates degradation rate in this study varied significantly, ranging from 46.40% to 67.38%. The physicochemical characteristics of the substrates are associated with the growth performance of the BSFL, and the inclusion of WLL influenced the nutritional composition of the larvae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unexplored Potentials of the Black Soldier Fly: Behavioral Ecology, Reproductive Efficiency, and Ecological Contributions)
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12 pages, 1085 KB  
Article
Impact of Rearing Substrates on Black Soldier Fly Growth and Fertility: A Semi-Industrial Scale Study to Optimize Egg Collection
by Qi-Hui Zhang and Nalini Puniamoorthy
Insects 2025, 16(2), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16020142 - 1 Feb 2025
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5280
Abstract
Juvenile environments can influence adult phenotypes in holometabolous insects. This study examines the effects of larval rearing substrates on the reproductive outcomes of Black Soldier Flies (BSFs) at a semi-industrial scale. Larvae were reared on five substrates. Larval growth, adult size, and reproductive [...] Read more.
Juvenile environments can influence adult phenotypes in holometabolous insects. This study examines the effects of larval rearing substrates on the reproductive outcomes of Black Soldier Flies (BSFs) at a semi-industrial scale. Larvae were reared on five substrates. Larval growth, adult size, and reproductive performance were monitored, with a specific focus on egg production and hatching rates across 17 continuous egg collection days. Egg production was positively correlated with female body weight, while male body weight appeared to influence the egg production peak. Extended larval feeding stages and shorter non-feeding periods were associated with an earlier onset of egg-laying, suggesting life-history traits as predictors for reproductive timing. Diets high in carbohydrates but low in protein and fat positively influenced larval growth, egg production, and female body weight, while diets rich in both protein and carbohydrates negatively affected all measured parameters. Notably, higher fecundity did not necessarily correlate with fertility (i.e., more viable larvae for bioconversion), highlighting the need to optimize diets for both egg quantity and hatchability to maximize productivity. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing larval nutrition and egg collection practices, enhancing reproductive efficiency and overall productivity in industrial BSF farming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unexplored Potentials of the Black Soldier Fly: Behavioral Ecology, Reproductive Efficiency, and Ecological Contributions)
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