Suitability of Different Ovipositional Trap for Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)

Abstract

The Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) has garnered significant attention as a sustainable and nutrient-rich option for poultry feed, due to its high protein and fat content. This study assesses the oviposition preference of female black soldier flies among different ovipositional traps like cardboard, wood, corrugated plastic tubes, and an outside area within a controlled environment. Employing a completely randomized block design, we assessed a range of parameters, including ovipositional trap selection, oviposition duration, egg count, fertility, offspring development, and mortality rate. The findings revealed that plastic tubes were the most favoured ovipositional trap, attracting 142.67 female visits, with an impressive average egg-laying duration of 13 minutes and an egg fertility rate of 85.33%. Such preference may be due to the optimal microenvironment plastic material provides for oviposition of the Soldier fly females. Cardboard traps garnered 122.67 visits, with a notable 10.67-minute egg-laying duration and a fertility rate of 72.67%. Interestingly, wood traps were the least attractive, with only 52.33 visits, the shortest egg-laying duration (6 minutes), and a fertility rate of 33.67%. These results demonstrate the significant role that material choice plays in the reproductive success of Hermetia illucens. The corrugated plastic tubes are the best ovipositional traps for the efficient mass-rearing of black soldier flies for both research and commercial requirements.