Impact of Microbiota on Development: Rearing Axenic Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)


  • Date de publication : 2019-11-28

Référence

Auger, L., Deschamps, M.-H., Vandenberg, G., Derome, N., (2019) Impact of Microbiota on Development: Rearing Axenic Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens). Affiche présentée au symposium de la Société d’Entomologie du Québec (SEQ)

Résumé

The microbiota’s impact on host’s development, metabolism and immunology has made microbial study integral to the biology of organisms. Microorganisms coevolve with their host and can be vital for development, to the point that some host cannot survive in their absence. Studies have explored Hermetia illucens (BSF) microbiome, an insect prized for its ability to process organic waste and its quality as livestock feed, but microbial aspects of the insect health and performance are still neglected. We hypothesise that BSF’s microbiota affect host’s ontology. To better understand host-microbiota’s interacting factors on BSF, we developed a rearing method in sterile conditions (axenic larvae) by treating egg clutches with ethanol and active chlorine washes. Although the growth of axenic larvae is affected, they can survive and feed. In the future, the impact of host-microbiota interactions factored with diet and life stages will be explored by the study of differential gene expression.