Black Soldier Fly Larvae Influence Internal and Substrate Bacterial Community Composition Depending on Substrate Type and Larval Density.

ABSTRACT: Saprophagous fly larvae interact with a rich community of bacteria in decomposing organic matter. Larvae of some species, such as the black soldier fly, can process a wide range of organic residual streams into edible insect biomass and thus produce protein as a sustainable component of livestock feed. The microbiological safety of the insects and substrates remains a point of concern. Substrate-associated bacteria can dominate the larval gut microbiota, but the larvae can also alter the bacterial community in the substrate. However, the relative importance of substrate type and larval density in bacterial community dynamics is unknown. We investigated four larval densities (0 [control], 50, 100, or 200 larvae per container [520 mL; diameter, 75 mm]) and three feed substrates (chicken feed

SUBMITTER: Schreven SJJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9128521 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature