title: Growth rates of black soldier fly larvae fed on fresh human faeces and their implication for improving sanitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the capacity of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) (Hermetia illucens) to convert fresh human faeces into larval biomass under different feeding regimes, and to determine how effective BSFL are as a means of human faecal waste management.
  
  
  METHODS
  Black soldier fly larvae were fed fresh human faeces. The frequency of feeding, number of larvae and feeding ratio were altered to determine their effects on larval growth, prepupal weight, waste reduction, bioconversion and feed conversion rate (FCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The larvae that were fed a single lump amount of faeces developed into significantly larger larvae and prepupae than those fed incrementally every 2 days; however, the development into pre-pupae took longer. The highest waste reduction was found in the group containing the most larvae, with no difference between feeding regimes. At an estimated 90% pupation rate, the highest bioconversion (16-22%) and lowest, most efficient FCR (2.0-3.3) occurred in groups that contained 10 and 100 larvae, when fed both the lump amount and incremental regime.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prepupal weight, bioconversion and FCR results surpass those from previous studies into BSFL management of swine, chicken manure and municipal organic waste. This suggests that the use of BSFL could provide a solution to the health problems associated with poor sanitation and inadequate human waste management in developing countries.
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: Walter T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Mary M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Cameron
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004175:Diptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D008131:London; D012722:Sewage / Q000469:parasitology; D014330:Tropical Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods; D014495:Universities; D018505:Waste Management / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage
keywords: Hermetia illucens; biomass; feed conversion rates; prepupal yield; sanitation