Bioinformatic Surveillance Leads to Discovery of Two Novel Putative Bunyaviruses Associated with Black Soldier Fly.

The black soldier fly (, BSF) has emerged as an industrial insect of high promise because of its ability to convert organic waste into nutritious feedstock, making it an environmentally sustainable alternative protein source. As global interest rises, rearing efforts have also been upscaled, which is highly conducive to pathogen transmission. Viral epidemics have stifled mass-rearing efforts of other insects of economic importance, such as crickets, silkworms, and honeybees, but little is known about the viruses that associate with BSF.

Large-scale production of house fly, Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae), larvae fed 3 manure types.

House flies, Musca domestica, L., (Diptera: Muscidae) are well-known pests at animal facilities; however, they can be used for manure biodegradation. Utilizing house flies to process animal manure offers a means to recycle nutrients and reduce contaminants (e.

Odorant binding proteins from: potential sensing elements for detecting volatile aldehydes involved in early stages of organic decomposition.

Organic decomposition processes, involving the breakdown of complex molecules such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats, release small chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), smelly even at very low concentrations, but not all readily detectable by vertebrates. Many of these compounds are instead detected by insects, mostly by saprophytic species, for which long-range orientation towards organic decomposition matter is crucial. In the present work the detection of aldehydes, as an important measure of lipid oxidation, has been possible exploiting the molecular machinery underlying odour recognition in(Diptera: Stratiomyidae).

(L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) Odorant Binding Proteins and Their Interactions with Selected Volatile Organic Compounds: An In Silico Approach.

The black soldier fly (BSF), (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), has considerable global interest due to its outstanding capacity in bioconverting organic waste to insect biomass, which can be used for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture feed. Mass production of this insect in colonies requires the development of methods concentrating oviposition in specific collection devices, while the mass production of larvae and disposing of waste may require substrates that are more palatable and more attractive to the insects. In insects, chemoreception plays an essential role throughout their life cycle, responding to an array of chemical, biological and environmental signals to locate and select food, mates, oviposition sites and avoid predators.

Evaluation of Development Datasets for Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) for Estimating the Time of Placement of Human and Swine Remains in Texas, USA.

A basic tenet of forensic entomology is development data of an insect can be used to predict the time of colonization (TOC) by insect specimens collected from remains, and this prediction is related to the time of death and/or time of placement (TOP). However, few datasets have been evaluated to determine their accuracy or precision. The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.

Black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), and house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), larvae reduce livestock manure and possibly associated nutrients: An assessment at two scales.

The industrial production of insects for waste management or as a protein source is becoming vital to our society. Large volumes of manure are produced by concentrated animal facilities around the globe that must be managed, utilized, and disposed of properly. Flies offer a partial solution with their abilities to reduce these wastes and heavy metal pollutants.

Rearing substrate impacts growth and macronutrient composition of Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae produced at an industrial scale.

Organic waste is a rapidly increasing problem due to the growth of the agricultural production needed to meet global food demands. Development of sustainable waste management solutions is essential. Black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.

and (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) Colonization of "Spoiled" Stingless Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Hives in Malaysia.

Meliponiculture, the keeping of domesticated stingless bees such as (Smith, 1857) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), is an increasingly popular agricultural industry in Malaysia. This study reports the soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) species of the genus colonizing stingless bee colonies in Malaysia. The larvae were reared in the laboratory to the adult stage and identified through molecular and morphological approaches.

Rethinking organic wastes bioconversion: Evaluating the potential of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens (L.)) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) (BSF).

Population growth and unprecedented economic growth and urbanization, especially in low- and middle-income countries, coupled with extreme weather patterns, the high-environmental footprint of agricultural practices, and disposal-oriented waste management practices, require significant changes in the ways we produce food, feed and fuel, and manage enormous amounts of organic wastes. Farming insects such as the black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens) on diverse organic wastes provides an opportunity for producing nutrient-rich animal feed, fuel, organic fertilizer, and biobased products with concurrent valorization of wastes. Inclusion of BSF larvae/pupae in the diets of poultry, fish, and swine has shown promise as a potential substitute of conventional feed ingredients such as soybean meal and fish meal.

Mass Production of the Black Soldier Fly, (L.), (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) Reared on Three Manure Types.

Recent interest in the mass production of black soldier fly (BSF) larvae has resulted in many studies being generated. However, a majority of the studies are benchtop, or small-scale, experiments. Results generated from such studies may not translate to large-scale/industrial production.

Interspecific Competition between the House Fly, L. (Diptera: Muscidae) and Black Soldier Fly, (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) When Reared on Poultry Manure.

Few studies have examined the competitive interaction between the house fly (HF) and the black soldier fly (BSF). The fact that the BSF deters HF oviposition is widely cited in BSF literature, but this interaction has not been assessed in over three decades. In this study, the competitive interaction of BSF and HF larvae was observed on fresh (day 0) and aged poultry manure (manure aged for two, four, six, or eight days).

Life-History Traits of the Black Soldier Fly, (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), Reared on Three Manure Types.

Structural changes and growth of animal production systems have resulted in greater volumes of manure. Current manure storage methods pose a potential environmental threat. Lessening these issues is a key concern for the animal production industry.

Larval digestion of different manure types by the black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) impacts associated volatile emissions.

Unlabelled: Volatile emissions from decomposing animal waste are known environmental pollutants. The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.), is being evaluated for industrialization as a means to recycle wastes and produce protein for use as food and feed.

The Impact of Diet Protein and Carbohydrate on Select Life-History Traits of The Black Soldier Fly Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae).

This study examined the impact of diet protein and carbohydrate percentages as well as moisture on the immature development, survivorship, and resulting adult longevity and egg production of the black soldier fly, (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae). Moisture impacted development and corresponding life-history traits more than protein:carbohydrate content; larvae were unable to develop on diets at 40% moisture.

Cool-weather activity of the forensically important hairy maggot blow fly Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) on carrion in Upstate South Carolina, United States.

The hairy maggot blow fly Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) has expanded its range in the United States since its introduction into Texas (ca. 1980) and has been collected in 15 states. We investigated the bionomics of immature and adult C.