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Black soldier fly (BSF) is a generalist species able to reduce large quantities of organic substrates and is thus considered as an interesting solution for waste management. Moreover, as BSF larvae accumulate high quantities of nutrients during their growth, they are valued because of their potential to produce products such as protein meal or fat for livestock feeds. Abiotic factors can influence larva growth, and a more detailed knowledge and control of these parameters can lead to the development of mass BSF breeding for the production of innovative products for animal feeds. As little information is available on the effects of the pH of substrates and feeding systems, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of these two factors on the activities of BSF larvae, prepupae, and adults. An experiment was performed with two fixed factors: i) pH (4.0; 6.1; 7.5; 9.5) and ii) feeding system (batch feeding system (TFS) or daily feeding system (DFS)). The pH treatments impacted larval weight on the first, third, and fifth day, but not at the end of the trial. Larval activity increased pH values from the fourth day onward, with final values of around 8.9-9.4 in all the treatments. The weight of the prepupae ranged from between 0.094 and 0.100 g. The final weight of the larvae and pupae, sex ratio, ingested food, larval mortality, percentage of emergence, and time to reach the pupa stadium were all affected by the feeding system. DFS showed the heaviest final larval weight (0.149 g), but required a longer time (11.3 d) than TFS to reach the prepupa stadium. The findings of this research could be useful for the mass production of BSF. Evaluation of an appropriate feeding system and initial pH value of the substrate are important parameters to reduce the time and to increase the weight in the production of larvae.

The present research studied for the first time the potential application of the fat derived from the black soldier fly larvae fat (BSLF) in substitution to the soybean oil in the diet for broiler chickens: growth performances, feed-choice, blood traits, carcass characteristics and meat quality were considered in this study. A total of 150 male broiler chicks (Ross 308) at one-day of age were randomly allotted to 3 dietary treatments (5 replicates and 10 birds/pen): a basal control diet (C group), and the same diet in which the soybean oil was replaced by 50% (CH group) or 100% (H group) BSLF. Growth performances, feed-choice test, blood traits and slaughtering performances were not influenced by diets. Independently of BSLF inclusion, broiler chickens breast meat had also similar crude protein and ether extract contents and displayed similar thawing loss. Furthermore, pH, L*, a*, b* colour values, and drip loss were unaffected by dietary treatments both at 0 and 9 days of refrigerated storage. As expected, the fatty acid profile of broiler chickens breast was greatly affected by BSLF inclusion level. With increasing BSLF inclusion rate, the proportion of SFA increased (32.2, 37.8, 43.5% for C, CH and H breast meat, respectively, p < .001) to the detriment of the PUFA fraction (22.7, 23.0, 22.9% for C, CH and H breast meat, respectively, p < .001). On the contrary, MUFA fraction was unaffected. BSLF inclusion guaranteed satisfactory productive performances, carcass traits and overall meat quality, thus suggesting that BSLF could be a promising new feed ingredient for chickens.

Background The present study has evaluated the effects of different inclusion levels of a partially defatted black soldier fly ( Hermetia illucens L.; HI) larva meal on the growth performance, blood parameters and gut morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 256 male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were reared from d 1 to d 35 and assigned to 4 dietary treatments (8 replicates/treatment and 8 birds/replicate). HI larva meal was included at increasing levels (0, 5%, 10% and 15%; HI0, HI5, HI10 and HI15, respectively) in isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets formulated for 3 feeding phases: starter (1–10 d), growing (10–24 d) and finisher (24–35 d). Two birds per pen were slaughtered at d 35 and morphometric investigations and histopathological alterations were performed. Results The live weight (LW) showed linear and quadratic responses to increasing HI larva meal (maximum for HI10 group). Average daily gain (ADG) showed a linear and quadratic responses to HI meal (maximum for HI10 group) during starter and growing periods. A linear decrease was observed for ADG during the finisher period. The daily feed intake (DFI) showed a linear and quadratic effect during the starter period (maximum for HI10 group). Linear and quadratic responses were observed for the feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the growing period and for the whole period of the experiment. The FCR showed a linear response in the finisher period (maximum for HI15). No significant effects were observed for the blood and serum parameters, except for the phosphorus concentration, which showed linear and quadratic responses as well as glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, the latter of which showed a linear response. The HI15 birds showed a lower villus height, a higher crypt depth and a lower villus height-to-crypt depth ratio than the other groups. Conclusions Increasing levels of dietary HI meal inclusion in male broiler chickens may improve the LW and DFI during the starter period, but may also negatively affect the FCR and gut morphology, thus suggesting that low levels may be more suitable. However, no significant effects on the haematochemical parameters or histological findings were observed in relation to HI meal utilization.

The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), has a great bioconversion potential and ability to develop on diverse substrates. Although the use of catering waste and food by-products containing meat and fish would reduce the footprint of the insect sector, to date, in Europe, their use is still facing legal obstacles for insects as food and feed. Since a major request from the EU insect sector is to diversify the spectrum of allowed substrates, and considering that variations in diet composition could influence insect immune responses, we evaluated the impact of different catering wastes on BSF prepupae immunity. Insects were reared on five diets: one based on feed for laying hens and four based on catering waste containing (i) fruits and vegetables; (ii) fruits, vegetables and bread; (iii) fruit, vegetables, bread and dairy products; (iv) fruits, vegetables, bread, meat and fish. The gene expression of two antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), one defensin and one cecropin, was assessed. Moreover, the hemolymph inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli DH5α and Micrococcus yunnanensis HI55 was evaluated using diffusion assays in solid media. The up-regulation of both AMPs’ encoding genes was observed in insects fed a bread-added and dairy product-added diet. All hemolymph samples showed inhibitory activity against both bacteria, affecting the colony size and number. The obtained results show how catering waste positively influences the H. illucens immune system. The possibility of modulating AMP expression levels through the diet opens up new perspectives in the management of insect health in mass rearings.

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) can utilize food by-products or residues for growth, benefiting farm animal’s diets’ production sustainability. The experiment aimed to assess the effect of different substrate compositions on larval growth, chemical composition, and substrate temperature. BSFL were allocated to one of the four diets (control, vegetable, carnivorous, and omnivorous) for the entire experiment (8 days). The temperature was measured twice daily using a thermal-imaging camera, and the accumulated degree hours (ADH) was calculated. The results showed that the larvae fed the vegetable diet exhibited a significantly reduced growth performance, with a biomass reduction of 26.3% compared to the control diet; furthermore, vegetable-fed larvae showed a lower dry matter content (−30% compared to the average of other diets) due to lower fat content (−65% compared to average of other diets). The nutritional composition of larvae fed an omnivorous diet was similar to larvae fed a high-quality substrate diet (control diet-chicken feed), indicating that the omnivorous diet could be an ideal solution for rearing BSFL larvae; however, the current European legislation prohibits the use of animal meal. The study also revealed that substrate temperatures did not have a discernible influence on larval growth, further emphasizing the importance of diet in BSFL rearing strategies.

Background The aim of this trial was to investigate the effects of different inclusion levels of a partially defatted black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens L.) larva meal on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profile, gut morphology and histological features of piglets. A total of 48 newly weaned piglets were individually weighed (initial body weight (IBW): 6.1 ± 0.16 kg) and randomly allocated to 3 dietary treatments (4 boxes as replicates/treatment and 4 animals/box). BSF larva meal was included at increasing levels (0% [BSF0], 5% [BSF5] and 10% [BSF10]) in isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets formulated for two feeding phases: I (from d 1 to d 23) and II (from d 24 to d 61). The weight gain (WG), average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated for each feeding phase and for the whole trial. The haematochemical parameters and nutrient digestibility of the piglets were also evaluated. A total of 3 piglets per box were slaughtered on d 61 and the slaughtered piglets were submitted to morphometric investigations and histopathological examinations. Results No overall significant differences were observed for growth performance ( P  > 0.05), except for the ADFI of phase II, which showed a linear response to increasing BSF meal levels ( P  < 0.05, maximum for the BSF10 group). Dietary BSF meal inclusion did not significantly influence the blood profile, except as far as monocytes and neutrophils are concerned, and these showed a linear and quadratic response, respectively, to increasing BSF meal levels ( P  < 0.05, maximum for the BSF10 and BSF5 groups, respectively). On the other hand, the nutrient digestibility, gut morphology and histological features were not affected by dietary BSF meal inclusion ( P  > 0.05). Conclusions The obtained results show that a partially defatted BSF larva meal can be used as a feed ingredient in diets for weaned piglets without negatively affecting their growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profile, gut morphology or histological features.

The large-scale insect rearing sector is expected to grow significantly in the next few years, with Hermetia illucens L. (black soldier fly, BSF) playing a pivotal role. As with traditional livestock, it is essential to improve and ensure BSF welfare. A starting point can be an adaptation of the Five Freedoms framework. Feed availability must be optimized to meet larvae nutritional needs (freedom from hunger) while maximizing substrate conversion efficiency. Similarly, rearing density needs to be optimized to ensure well-being, particularly in large-scale operations. In this study, Control (commercial laying hen feed) and Omnivorous substrates (vegetable and meat) were used as dietary regimes. In the first trial, three feeding rates were tested: 50, 100, and 200 mg feed/larva/day; in the second trial, three rearing densities were evaluated: 5, 10, and 15 larvae/cm2. Performance parameters, including final larval weight, final frass biomass, growth rate, substrate reduction, feed conversion ratio, larval length, survival rate, larvae chemical composition, and process optimization, were studied. Our results show that a feeding rate of approximately 90 mg feed/larva/day in the Omnivorous diet and 175 mg feed/larva/day in the Control diet, along with a rearing density of 5 and 7.57 larvae/cm2, respectively, in the Omnivorous and Control diets, produced optimal growth performances ensuring larval well-being. This outcome offers valuable insights for implementing good welfare practices in the insect farming sector and optimizing rearing management and efficiency.

Background The present work aimed at evaluating the effect of the dietary replacement of soybean oil (S) by two types of insect fats extracted from black soldier fly larvae (H, Hermetia illucens L.) and yellow mealworm larvae (T, Tenebrio molitor L.) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, intestinal morphology and health of growing rabbits. Methods At weaning, 200 crossbred rabbits (36 days old) were allotted to five dietary treatments (40 rabbits/group): a control diet (C) containing 1.5% of soybean oil and four experimental diets where soybean oil was partially (50%) or totally (100%) substituted by H (H50 and H100) or T (T50 and T100) fats. Total tract digestibility was evaluated on 12 rabbits per treatment. The growth trial lasted 41 d and, at slaughtering (78 days old), blood samples were collected from 15 rabbits per treatment, morphometric analyses were performed on duodenum, jejunum and ileum mucosa, and samples of liver, spleen and kidney were submitted to histological evaluation. Results No difference was observed between the control and the experimental groups fed insect fats in terms of performance, morbidity, mortality and blood variables. The addition of H and T fats did not influence apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter, protein, ether extract, fibre fractions and gross energy. Gut morphometric indices and organ histopathology were not affected by dietary inclusion of H and T fats. Conclusions H and T fats are suitable sources of lipid in rabbit diets to replace soybean oil without any detrimental effect on growth performance, apparent digestibility, gut mucosa traits and health.

The insect farming sector is expanding, but knowledge of insect welfare is still limited. This article aims to optimize the dietary regime for “black soldier fly” (Hermetia illucens L., BSF) larvae by applying a holistic view of welfare. Four diets were tested: control (CONTR, commercial laying hen feed), vegetable (VEG), omnivorous (OMN), and carnivorous (MEAT) diet, conducting experiments at a large (2000 larvae) and small scale (100 larvae). Rearing parameters were calculated including the growth rate, substrate reduction, efficiency of conversion of digested food, waste reduction index, and survival rate. Chemical analyses were conducted on BSF larvae and the residual frass. While the MEAT diet appears to be non-well-performing for the larvae, the VEG diet performed comparably to the control diet. Interestingly, the OMN diet demonstrated improved efficiency when evaluating the growth process at both scales. The chemical composition of larvae and frass highlighted the nutritional adequacy of the OMN diet, with the BSF larvae showing adequate protein and lipid content without nutrient catabolism or signs of discomfort. Applying the five freedoms of Brambell’s report as a welfare standard for animal rearing and evaluating performance as an indirect indicator of welfare, the OMN diet appears to promote larval welfare in rearing practices.

HIGHLIGHTS Insect meal can replace soy in hen diets without harming egg quality or production Insect-based feed supports circular economy by recycling food waste into high-value animal protein Eggs from insect-fed hens maintain quality even after 21 days, supporting food shelf-life