title: Black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae reduce Escherichia coli in dairy manure.
abstract: Escherichia coli labeled with a green fluorescent protein was inoculated into sterile dairy manure at 7.0 log cfu/g. Approximately 125 black soldier fly larvae were placed in manure inoculated and homogenized with E. coli. Manure inoculated with E. coli but without black soldier fly larvae served as the control. For the first experiment, larvae were introduced into 50, 75, 100, or 125 g sterilized dairy manure inoculated and homogenized with E. coli and stored 72 h at 27 degrees C. Black soldier fly larvae significantly reduced E. coli counts in all treatments. However, varying the amount of manure provided the black soldier fly larvae significantly affected their weight gain and their ability to reduce E. coli populations present. For the second experiment, larvae were introduced into 50 g manure inoculated with E. coli and stored for 72 h at 23, 27, 31, or 35 degrees C. Minimal bacterial growth was recorded in the control held at 35 degrees C and was excluded from the analysis. Black soldier fly larvae significantly reduced E. coli counts in manure held at remaining temperatures. Accordingly, temperature significantly influenced the ability of black soldier fly larvae to develop and reduce E. coli counts with greatest suppression occurring at 27 degrees C.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbe Pesticide, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Qiaolin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jeffery K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Tomberlin
authors.forename: Jeff A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.forename: Michelle R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sanford
authors.forename: Ziniu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004175:Diptera / Q000502:physiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development*; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology; D008372:Manure / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D008372:Manure