Black Soldier Fly Larvae

Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL), scientifically known as Hermetia illucens L. and
classified under Diptera: Stratiomyidae, are scavenger insects primarily dedicated to consuming
organic waste materials, including plant residues, animal manure, food waste, agricultural
byproducts, and straw (Nguyen, T et al., 2015). During the waste decomposition process of
BSFL, they transform organic waste into valuable substances such as amino acids, peptides,
proteins, oils, chitin, and vitamins. Furthermore, they find application in medicine, chemical
processes, and various animal feeds, particularly for pets, pigs, and poultry (Purba, R.A.P. et al.,
2021).
The efficiency of waste treatment using BSFL is significantly influenced by the
bioconversion rate, an important indicator. This rate depends on various factors, including the
concentration of digestible nutrients, such as protein, fat, and fiber, as well as pH, feeding rate
(Banks, I.J. et al., 2014), substrate density, and water content, among others (Dortmans, B. et al.,
2017). The optimal moisture content falls within the range of 60% to 80%, with a lower limit at
approximately 40% (Bortolini, S. et al., 2020).
BSFL larvae have the capability to decompose over 50% of chicken manure, converting
it into high-quality amino acids, proteins, and fats for animal feed, ultimately reducing breeding
costs. Additionally, BSFL are rich in nutrients, minerals, and chitin, and they exhibit antioxidant
and immune-enhancing properties (Siddiqui, S. et al. in 2022).

Nutritional Value of Black Soldier Fly Larvae

The black soldier fly larva (BSFL) is the immature stage of the black soldier fly (BSF),
and it has gained significant popularity as a food source for various animals due to its notable
nutritional advantages. It has high crude protein and crude fat content. These also contains
essential and non-essential amino acids as well as vitamins and minerals. The distinctive
characteristics of BSFL larvae, notably their substantial size and fat content, make them easy to
collect and use as a dietary component for animals. In animal feed production, the key
considerations are the levels of protein, fat, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals which are found
in these larvae.
In terms of crude protein and amino acid content, black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) can
contain over 40% crude protein, with variations based on their developmental stage, as
highlighted in the study by Makkar et al. (2014). Furthermore, BSFL are notably rich in essential
amino acids like leucine, lysine, and arginine, as demonstrated by Liu et al. in 2017. When it
comes to non-essential amino acids, BSFL exhibit higher quantities of proline, alanine, and
tyrosine compared to soybean and fish meal, as observed by Taufek et al. in 2021.
Regarding crude fat, BSFL larvae typically start with approximately 5% crude fat on the
first day after hatching, which gradually increases throughout their development, reaching 28-
30% at the pupa stage. In the study of Oonincx et al. (2015), lauric acid, a saturated fatty acid
known for its antimicrobial properties, constitutes 35-50% of the total fatty acids in BSFL.
Moreover, a study by Leni et al. (2017) was concluded that myristic acid is also found in higher
quantities in BSFL compared to soybean meal. In relation to this, Hoc et al. (2020) reported that
BSFL have a high content of saturated fatty acids (C12:0, C14:0, C16:0).
In terms of vitamins and minerals, BSFL contain significant amounts of calcium, iron,
zinc, phosphorous, and Vitamin E, which hold noteworthy importance in animal nutrition (Liland
et al. 2017). The content of Vitamin E in the pre-pupa stage is reported to increase from 3.2
mg/100g to approximately 6.7 mg/100g by day 14. Some minerals, such as calcium and
phosphorous, were found to be twice as high in the early stage compared to the final stage, while
sodium, zinc, and iron content were more prominent at the mature stage, as observed by Liu et
al. (2017).

Black Soldier Fly Larvae as Protein Source for Egg Production

In the context of laying hens, it was observed that supplementing their diet with various
levels of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meals, ranging from 3% to 15%, led to improved egg
production, as reported by Liu et al. in 2021. On the other hand, Marono et al. (2017) found that
when laying hens were fed diets containing 17-100% BSF meal, it resulted in increased
proportions of small and large eggs, elevated levels of blood globulin and blood calcium, but
incorporating Hermetia illucens larvae meal, accounting for up to 100% of the dietary protein in
the diet of laying hens did not have adverse effects on egg production, feed consumption, or feed
conversion efficiency.
In relation to this, a study was concluded by Nassar et al. (2022) that BSFL meal could be
partially included into the layer diets enhance egg production, egg quality traits, physiological
aspects, and economic efficiency of laying hens. There are linear and quadratic impacts for
increasing the levels of BSFL meal into the layer diets on most of the studied parameters.
However, the highest economic outputs were obtained with the use of 12% BSFL (120 g/kg of
the layer diets). Moreover, the results indicated that each 3% of SB meal can be subrogated by
1% BSFL meal in the commercial layer diets, to achieve a favorable performance and high
economic outputs of egg production.