Bacterial Diversity from Successive Life Stages of Black Soldier Fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) using 16s rDNA bacterial tag encoded FLX amplicon pyrosequencing.. bsf

Black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens (L.), larvae represent a sustainable method for reducing animal and plant wastes. Larvae reduce dry matter, bacteria, offensive odor and house fly populations. Prepupae can be used as feedstuff for livestock. While some bacterial species have been cultured and identified from BSF, a true appreciation of fly associated bacterial diversity is not known. Such information is needed to understand pathogen colonization on decomposing animal and plant waste in the presence of BSF larvae. Using 454 sequencing, we examined bacterial diversity associated with successive life stages of the BSF reared on a Gainesville diet. The diversity of bacteria classified (99.84%) across all life stages spanned six bacterial phyla with ≥80% bootstrap support. Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were the most dominant phyla associated with the BSF accounting for two-thirds of the fauna identified. Many of these bacteria would go undetected due to their inability to be cultured. The ecological consequences of the presences of bacteria on waste can be both beneficial and detrimental to human and animal health. An analysis of microbial diversity in associated waste management systems will enhance our ability to modulate these communities to maximize benefits to society while abating pathogen proliferation and dispersal.