Hermetia illucens
5373309
222636510
2008-06-30T11:09:39Z
68.219.131.139
[[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 221723783 by [[Special:Contributions/68.39.133.212|68.39.133.212]] ([[User talk:68.39.133.212|talk]])
{{Taxobox
| name = Black Soldier Fly
| image = Wasp 1454.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| regnum = [[Animalia]]
| phylum = [[Arthropoda]]
| classis = [[Insecta]]
| ordo = [[Diptera]]
| subordo = [[Brachycera]]
| infraordo = [[Stratiomyomorpha]]
| familia = [[Stratiomyidae]]
| subfamilia = [[Hermetiinae]]
| genus = ''[[Hermetia]]''
| species = '''''H. illucens'''''
| binomial = ''Hermetia illucens''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758
}}
The '''Black Soldier Fly''' ('''''Hermetia illucens''''') is a common and widespread member of the family [[Stratiomyidae]], and quite possibly the best-known species in the entire infraorder. There are several reasons for this:
*The larvae are common [[scavenger]]s in [[compost heap]]s
*The larvae can be destructive pests in [[honeybee]] [[beehive (beekeeping)|hive]]s
*The larvae are used in [[manure]] management, for both [[house fly]] control and reduction in manure volume, and the mature larvae and prepupae raised in manure management operations are themselves useful as feed supplements<ref>{{cite journal | author= Sheppard, D.C. | title=Large-scale Feed Production from Animal Manures with a Non-Pest Native Fly | journal=Food Insects Newsletter | year=1992 | volume=5|issue=2}}</ref>
*The larvae are found in association with carrion, and have significant potential for use in [[forensic entomology]]<ref>{{cite journal | author=Lord, W.D., Goff, M.L., Adkins, T.R., and Haskell, N.H. | title=The black soldier fly ''Hermetia illucens'' (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) as a potential measure of human postmortem interval: observations and case histories | journal=J. Forensic Sci. | year=1994 | pages=215–222 | volume=39}}</ref>.
*The larvae may sometimes cause intestinal [[myiasis]] or pseudomyiasis in humans. See this case in [[Costa Rica]][http://www.scielo.cl/pdf/parasitol/v60n3-4/art10.pdf ]
*The larvae are sometimes sold as [[live pet food]] under the names '''Phoenix Worms''' and '''Soldier Grubs''' for owners of [[herp]]s and [[tropical fish]]. They store high levels of [[calcium]] for future pupation which is beneficial to herps<ref name="Pavia">"The Incredible Edible Worm", by Audrey Pavia, Reptiles Magazine, July, 2007</ref>. Phoenix worms were first developed as a feeder species by Insect Science Resource.
The larvae range in size from 1/8 to 3/4 of an inch (3 to 19 millimeters). Although they can be stored at [[room temperature]] for several weeks, their longest [[shelf life]] is achieved at 50-60 degrees [[Fahrenheit]] (10 to 15 degrees [[Celsius]]).
The adult fly is a [[mimicry|mimic]], very close in size, color, and appearance to the [[organ pipe mud dauber]] wasp and its relatives. The mimicry of this particular kind of wasp is especially enhanced in that the fly's [[Antenna (biology)|antennae]] are elongated and wasp-like, the fly's hind [[tarsus|tarsi]] are pale, as are the wasp's, and the fly has two small transparent "windows" in the basal [[abdomen|abdominal]] segments that make it look like the fly has a narrow "wasp waist".
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
* [http://www.phoenixworm.com Insect Science Resource website]
[[Category:Flies]]
[[Category:Pet foods]]