The effect of relative humidity on black soldier fly development: a study using two dietary resources

Black Soldier Flies, Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) are of particular interest for their applications in waste management and can be used to solve many problems associated with large manure accumulations in confined feeding operations. Determining the Black soldier fly's development as a result of climatic variations will allow for optimizing their colonization of various wastes at landfill sites and confined feeding operations. Black soldier fly development, like all insects is entirely dependent on abiotic factors. To implement a black soldier fly waste management program in Canada, where seasonal variability does not support black soldier fly development on a year round basis, it is important to determine the maximum and minimum thresholds that sustain larval development. Black soldier fly larvae were reared on two diets consisting of hen layer ration or bovine liver. Larvae from each treatment were placed in growth chambers maintaining either a high or low relative humidity; temperature and photoperiod were constant among all growth chambers at 27oC and 14:10 [L:D], respectively. Under each treatment, egg eclosion, larval development (length, weight and head capsule width), elapsed time to emergence, and larval and adult mortality were recorded for larvae from both dietary resources. Determining the maximum and minimum relative humidity thresholds is vital towards establishing a successful regiment for larval development.