Biomimicry in love-cage design: boosting black soldier fly mass production
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Abstract
This study employs a biomimicry design approach to optimise egg production in industrial black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens (L.)) breeding by enhancing love-cage environments. Two experiments assessed the impact of increasing resting surface area and altering surface colour to egg production, promoting lekking behaviour, in 1 m3 cages with a sex ratio (M:F) of 1.45:1 and fly population size of approx. 16 000 flies. The first trial tested four love cage configurations differing in their internal surface area per unit of volume (3.33, 3.99, 5.11, 7.17 m−1). A ratio of 3.99 m−1 significantly increased egg production (18.6 ± 4.42 g) by reducing male competition for lekking spaces. The second trial evaluated surface colours (white, green, mixed). White elements achieved the highest egg output (19.4 ± 4.85 g), likely due to superior light reflection, enhancing BSF conspecific detection for mating. No significant differences in hatching rates were observed across treatments (from 29.4 ± 14.87% to 53.2 ± 21.71% in trial one and 32.1 ± 15.13% to 60.0 ± 36.47% in the second one). Findings highlight the value of designing breeding systems that align with natural BSF behaviours to improve reproductive efficiency. Future research should explore factors like light spectrum and sex ratios for further optimisation of BSF breeding.
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Biomimicry in love-cage design: boosting black soldier fly mass production
In: Journal of Insects as Food and FeedSearch for other papers by F. Grosso in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by A. Lattarulo in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by M. Meneguz in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Politecnico di Torino, DAD, 10125 Torino (TO), Italy
Search for other papers by C. Padula in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
This study employs a biomimicry design approach to optimise egg production in industrial black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens (L.)) breeding by enhancing love-cage environments. Two experiments assessed the impact of increasing resting surface area and altering surface colour to egg production, promoting lekking behaviour, in 1 m3 cages with a sex ratio (M:F) of 1.45:1 and fly population size of approx. 16 000 flies. The first trial tested four love cage configurations differing in their internal surface area per unit of volume (3.33, 3.99, 5.11, 7.17 m−1). A ratio of 3.99 m−1 significantly increased egg production (18.6 ± 4.42 g) by reducing male competition for lekking spaces. The second trial evaluated surface colours (white, green, mixed). White elements achieved the highest egg output (19.4 ± 4.85 g), likely due to superior light reflection, enhancing BSF conspecific detection for mating. No significant differences in hatching rates were observed across treatments (from 29.4 ± 14.87% to 53.2 ± 21.71% in trial one and 32.1 ± 15.13% to 60.0 ± 36.47% in the second one). Findings highlight the value of designing breeding systems that align with natural BSF behaviours to improve reproductive efficiency. Future research should explore factors like light spectrum and sex ratios for further optimisation of BSF breeding.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 679 | 679 | 23 |
| Full Text Views | 28 | 28 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 64 | 64 | 0 |
