Black Soldier Fly
Hermetia illucens
Insecta
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- A few weeks
- Size
- Medium
- Diet
- Decomposer
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Solitary
- Biome
- Tropical forest
- Range
- The Americas
- Movement
- Flight
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Warning Colors
- Status
- Common
About
The black soldier fly is a non-pest fly whose larvae are voracious decomposers, breaking down organic waste at remarkable speed and producing a high-protein biomass used in animal feed and aquaculture. Adults lack functional mouthparts entirely and cannot feed, surviving only long enough to mate.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
- 2.juvenileAn immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
- 3.subadultA near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
- 4.adultFully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Diptera
- Family
- Stratiomyidae
- Genus
- Hermetia
- Species
- Hermetia illucens