Singh, A., Marathe, D. and Kumari, K., 2023. Small scale rearing of Black Soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) as a function of two different light sources. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-023-01036-0

In this present study, different life-history attributes of Black Soldier fly (BSF) such as mating, oviposition activity, larval and adult weights, survival, etc. were investigated under the effect of two different light sources (Sunlight and Halogen light). The light exposure was for 9 h per day in both the experimental conditions. It was observed that sunlight exposure enhanced the mating and oviposition activity in adult females over halogen light. The total development time and days to first prepupa and adult fly emergence were also significantly different (p < 0.05). The egg hatchability also varied differently in halogen light (67%) and sunlight (92%) however, there was not any significant difference in the weights of larva (0.17 g), prepupa (0.14 g), pupa (0.12 g) and adult flies (0.05 g) in both the experimental conditions. The larval (87% and 89%) and prepupal (74% and 75%) survival rate also did not vary in both the treatments. Moreover, the overall physiological significance of the entire study has been dealt in detail in the full paper.