title: Conversion of organic material by black soldier fly larvae: establishing optimal feeding rates.
abstract: Larvae of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), are voracious feeders of organic material and may thus be used in simple engineered systems to reduce organic waste in low- and middle-income countries. Controlled feeding experiments with standard fodder were conducted to assess the optimum amount of organic waste to be added to a CORS system (Conversion of Organic Refuse by Saprophages). A daily feeding rate of 100 mg chicken feed (60% moisture content) per larva resulted in an optimum trade-off between material reduction efficiency (41.8%, SE 0.61) and biomass production (prepupal dry weight: 48.0 mg, SE 2.0). Applied to market waste and human faeces, this corresponds to a potential daily feeding capacity of 3-5 kg/m(2) and 6.5 kg/m(2), respectively. In addition, H. illucens prepupae quality was assessed to determine their suitability to substitute fishmeal in animal feed production. The chitin-corrected crude protein content ranged from 28.2 to 42.5%, depending on the amount of food provided to the larvae. Based on our study, a waste processing unit could yield a daily prepupal biomass of 145 g (dry mass) per m(2). We conclude that larvae of the black soldier fly are potentially capable of converting large amounts of organic waste into protein-rich biomass to substitute fishmeal, thereby contributing to sustainable aquaculture.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland. Stefan.Diener@eawag.ch
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diener
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zurbrügg
authors.forename: Klement
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tockner
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D004175:Diptera / Q000502:physiology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins