The core gut microbiome of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae raised on low-bioburden diets
Front Microbiol 11, 993 · Across three different diets, the larvae kept a stable core gut community (Actinomyces, Dysgonomonas, Enterococcus), which suggests that diet plays a smaller role than assumed.
Black soldier fly larvae degrade a wide range of organic materials. We fed them three diets with a low microbial load and followed larval development and the bacterial and archaeal community in the gut. The gut community did not change significantly between diets. Instead, a core of a few dominant genera, backed by many low-abundance taxa, persisted. A stable resident community of this kind could explain how the larvae cope with such different substrates.
