Hermetia illucens (L.)
Introduction
The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, is a native insect of the southeastern US but can be found all over the world. The black soldier fly is not considered a pest as it is not attracted to humans or their food and is not known to transmit disease. The larvae of the black soldier fly subsist solely on decaying organic material throughout their development making it a valuable asset to the agriculture industry of North Carolina. The larvae’s voracious appetite has been exploited to manage the large amounts of manure produced in livestock operations as well as reducing the harmful bacteria found within. In addition to manure mass reduction, the larvae aerate the uneaten manure which dries it out and reduces the smell. The best thing about this system is it is cheap to implement and self-sustaining!
Another exciting application of the black soldier fly is in the biofuels industry. A major limiting factor for manufacturing biofuels is that the material used for production is also a major food source for livestock and humans. In 2011 researchers in China introduced the black soldier fly larvae as a potential alternative source for producing biodiesel. Due the larva’s insatiable appetite 30% of its biomass is composed of fat. The resulting biodiesel had similar fuel properties to that of rapeseed-based biodiesel and met with European biodiesel standards. In order to raise enough larvae to produce significant amounts of biodiesel a lot of manure will be needed. This approach continues to manage organic waste while providing a non-food resource for producing biofuel.
On the darker side of things, black soldier flies are also valuable in forensics for estimating postmortem intervals for badly decomposed remains. Unlike other forensically important Diptera, this species is frequently found on remains that are in the dry/ post-decay stage of decomposition.
Another exciting application of the black soldier fly is in the biofuels industry. A major limiting factor for manufacturing biofuels is that the material used for production is also a major food source for livestock and humans. In 2011 researchers in China introduced the black soldier fly larvae as a potential alternative source for producing biodiesel. Due the larva’s insatiable appetite 30% of its biomass is composed of fat. The resulting biodiesel had similar fuel properties to that of rapeseed-based biodiesel and met with European biodiesel standards. In order to raise enough larvae to produce significant amounts of biodiesel a lot of manure will be needed. This approach continues to manage organic waste while providing a non-food resource for producing biofuel.
On the darker side of things, black soldier flies are also valuable in forensics for estimating postmortem intervals for badly decomposed remains. Unlike other forensically important Diptera, this species is frequently found on remains that are in the dry/ post-decay stage of decomposition.
Taxonomic History
Synonyms:
Hermetia illucens var. nigritibia Enderlein, 1914
Hermetia illuscens Copello, 1926
Hermetia mucens Riley & Howard, 1889
Hermetia nigrifacies Bigot, 1879
Hermetia pellucens Macquart, 1834
Hermetia rufiventris Fabricius, 1805
Musca illucens Linnaeus, 1758
Musca leucopa Linnaeus, 1767 copied from ITIS 2012
Hermetia illucens var. nigritibia Enderlein, 1914
Hermetia illuscens Copello, 1926
Hermetia mucens Riley & Howard, 1889
Hermetia nigrifacies Bigot, 1879
Hermetia pellucens Macquart, 1834
Hermetia rufiventris Fabricius, 1805
Musca illucens Linnaeus, 1758
Musca leucopa Linnaeus, 1767 copied from ITIS 2012
Diagnosis
ADULT:
15-20mm long, mostly black with smoky black wings and white halteres. The ends of the legs are white. The first abdominal segment has two windows dorsally and a single large window ventrally. Upon eclosure the windows appear blue due to the presence of hemolymph. The fly itself looks similar to thread-waisted wasps and it is suggested this is the reason for the windows in the abdomen
LARVAE:
Mature larvae are 18mm long and 6mm wide, although some individuals can be as long as 27 mm. Dull and whitish in color with a small projecting head containing chewing mouth parts. The skin of the larvae is thick and leathery.
15-20mm long, mostly black with smoky black wings and white halteres. The ends of the legs are white. The first abdominal segment has two windows dorsally and a single large window ventrally. Upon eclosure the windows appear blue due to the presence of hemolymph. The fly itself looks similar to thread-waisted wasps and it is suggested this is the reason for the windows in the abdomen
LARVAE:
Mature larvae are 18mm long and 6mm wide, although some individuals can be as long as 27 mm. Dull and whitish in color with a small projecting head containing chewing mouth parts. The skin of the larvae is thick and leathery.
1.
If you look at the wings closely where...
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Natural History
The adult lives only 5-8 days and its sole purpose are mating and oviposition. Often times the adult does not feed and can rely on the fat stores that were acquired as a larva. The males wait for females at lekking sites that they defend against intruding males. When an intruder is spotted it will by “tackled” by the defending male. When a female is spotted the male flies to her and they will copulate in the air. The female is capable of laying up to 900 eggs (!) but around 500 is more typical. The eggs are laid in cracks and crevices adjacent to decaying matter (carrion, compost piles, and manure) and hatch in about 4 days. The larvae go through six larval stages, called instars, where it eats continuously. The larval stage can last from a few weeks to several months depending on food availability and temperature. When the larva is ready to pupate it will evacuate the contents of its digestive tract and exit the decaying matter to find a dry place to pupate. Instead of building a cocoon pupation occurs within a puparium that is formed by the hardening of the skin of the last larval instar. The black soldier fly can pupate over winter.
Habitat
The black soldier fly can be found near decaying organic matter including manure and compost piles. The adults can be collected using sweep nets and should be pinned. The larvae will be found within the decaying matter or nearby when looking for an appropriate place to pupate. The larva should be preserved in alcohol.
Distribution
Worldwide distribution:
Eastern USA; Mesoamerica; Europe, Japan; Central and Southern Africa; Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka; Coastal Australia and widespread on surrounding islands
copied from Encylcopedia of Life 2012
Exceptionally active in the Southeast from April to November.
Eastern USA; Mesoamerica; Europe, Japan; Central and Southern Africa; Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka; Coastal Australia and widespread on surrounding islands
copied from Encylcopedia of Life 2012
Exceptionally active in the Southeast from April to November.
Find out more
1. ITIS. (2012). Hermetia illucens Linnaeus. Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=130298 (4 January 2012)
2. EOL. (2012). Hermetia illucens Linnaeus. Encyclopedia of Life. http://eol.org/pages/824054/overview. (4 January 2012)
3. Diclaro, Joseph W. and Phillip E. Kaufman. Black soldier fly Hermetia illucens Linnaeus (Insecta: Diptera: Stratiomyidae). University of Florida IFAS Extension. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in830 (5 January 2012)
4. Tomberlin JK, Sheppard DC. 2001. Lekking behavior of the black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae). Florida Entomologist 84: 729-730.
5. NCIPMI. (1998). Insect and related pests of man and animals. North Carolina Integrated Pest Management Information.http://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG369/notes/black_soldier_fly.html
6. Drees BM, Jackman J. (October 2008). Soldier fly. A Field Guide to Common Texas Insects.http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg226.html (4 January 2012)
7. Li, Qing, Longyu Zheng, Hao Cai, E Garza, Ziniu Yu and Shengde Zhou. (2011). From organic waste to biodiesel: Black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, makes it feasible. Fuel 90: 1545-1548. DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2010.11.016.
8. Liu, Qiaolin, Jeffery K. Tomberlin, Jeff A. Brady, Michelle R. Sanford, and Ziniu Yu. (2008). Black Soldier Fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) Larvae Reduce Escherichia coli in Dairy Manure. Environmental Entomology 37 (6): 1525-1530. http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1603/0046-225X-37.6.1525.
9. Newton, Larry, Craig Sheppard, D. Wes Watson, Gary Burtle and Robert Dove. (2005). Using the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, as a value-added tool for the management of swine manure.
http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=130298 (4 January 2012)
2. EOL. (2012). Hermetia illucens Linnaeus. Encyclopedia of Life. http://eol.org/pages/824054/overview. (4 January 2012)
3. Diclaro, Joseph W. and Phillip E. Kaufman. Black soldier fly Hermetia illucens Linnaeus (Insecta: Diptera: Stratiomyidae). University of Florida IFAS Extension. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in830 (5 January 2012)
4. Tomberlin JK, Sheppard DC. 2001. Lekking behavior of the black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae). Florida Entomologist 84: 729-730.
5. NCIPMI. (1998). Insect and related pests of man and animals. North Carolina Integrated Pest Management Information.http://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG369/notes/black_soldier_fly.html
6. Drees BM, Jackman J. (October 2008). Soldier fly. A Field Guide to Common Texas Insects.http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg226.html (4 January 2012)
7. Li, Qing, Longyu Zheng, Hao Cai, E Garza, Ziniu Yu and Shengde Zhou. (2011). From organic waste to biodiesel: Black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, makes it feasible. Fuel 90: 1545-1548. DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2010.11.016.
8. Liu, Qiaolin, Jeffery K. Tomberlin, Jeff A. Brady, Michelle R. Sanford, and Ziniu Yu. (2008). Black Soldier Fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) Larvae Reduce Escherichia coli in Dairy Manure. Environmental Entomology 37 (6): 1525-1530. http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1603/0046-225X-37.6.1525.
9. Newton, Larry, Craig Sheppard, D. Wes Watson, Gary Burtle and Robert Dove. (2005). Using the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, as a value-added tool for the management of swine manure.
Map
There are no specimens currently determined for this OTU, or those specimens determined for this OTU are not yet mappable.