CONTAINED SYSTEMS TO PROVIDE REPRODUCTIVE HABITAT FOR HERMETIA ILLUCENS

• US 20150122182A1
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avrio Subordinated DEBT Limited Partnership III
• Original Assignee: Enterra Feed Corporation
• Inventors: Radley, Reed, Aldana, Juan, Quan, Edna, Vickerson, Andrew, Marchant, Brad, Kaulfuss, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 9,510,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/6.6
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 67/033 Rearing or breeding invertebrates; New breeds of invertebrates

Abstract

An apparatus and method of inducing black soldier flies to emerge, mate and lay eggs is provided. The method involves exposing at least one male black soldier fly and at least one female black soldier fly to artificial light in an enclosed space. The artificial light includes at least one wavelength in a visible spectrum and at least one wavelength in an ultraviolet spectrum.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. An apparatus for inducing black solder flies (BSFs) to mate, the apparatus comprising:

a mating chamber for receiving at least one male BSF and at least one female BSF; and

at least one artificial light source, wherein the at least one artificial light source is configured to illuminate the chamber with at least one wavelength in the visible spectrum and at least one wavelength in the ultraviolet spectrum.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one artificial light source is configured to emit light with a visible light intensity that is less than 400 μ

mol·

m<sup>−

2</sup>·

s<sup>−

1</sup>.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one wavelength in the visible spectrum is produced using a 300 to 500 W quartz-iodine lamp and the at least one wavelength in the ultraviolet spectrum is produced using a 50 W halogen lamp.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a mating chamber wall defining the mating chamber and a mating chamber opening for admitting black soldier flies into the mating chamber;

an oviposition chamber positioned within the mating chamber, wherein the oviposition chamber is defined by at least one oviposition chamber wall,

wherein the at least one oviposition chamber wall further defines an oviposition chamber opening for receiving gravid BSFs into the oviposition chamber,

wherein the oviposition chamber includes

a oviposition shade for shading gravid BSFs from the at least one artificial light source, and

a collector for collecting BSF eggs oviposited by gravid BSFs.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a pupation chamber in communication with the mating chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a pupation chamber shade for shading pupae from the at least one artificial light source.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein communication between the pupation chamber and the mating chamber is provided by a conduit connecting the pupation chamber to the mating chamber via the mating chamber opening.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a blower in communication with the conduit for blowing BSFs in the conduit toward the mating chamber.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the conduit further comprises a check valve through which BSFs must pass in order to access the mating chamber, wherein the check valve opens in response to a force generated by the blower.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a conduit light source configured to illuminate a portion of the conduit to attract migration of BSFs from the pupation chamber to the conduit.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the conduit includes a one-way passage through which BSFs must pass in order to access the mating chamber, wherein the funnel trap tapers toward the mating chamber.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one-way passage includes a funnel trap through which black soldier flies must pass in order to access the mating chamber, wherein the funnel trap tapers toward the mating chamber.

18. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for removing dead BSFs from the mating chamber.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for removing dead BSFs from the mating chamber includes a sealable opening adjacent the bottom of the mating chamber.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one wall defining the mating chamber tapers toward the sealable opening.

21. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the collector comprises a plurality of substantially vertical flutes or tubes.

22. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the oviposition chamber further comprises an attractant for attracting gravid BSFs.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the oviposition further comprises an upper drawer and a lower drawer, wherein each of the upper drawer and the lower drawer is configured to open to the exterior of the mating chamber, and wherein the collector is situated on the upper drawer and the attractant is situated on the lower drawer.

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

24. A method of isolating black solder fly (BSF) eggs comprising:

(a) providing at least one male BSF and at least one female BSF to a mating chamber;

(b) illuminating the mating chamber with artificial light comprising at least one wavelength in a visible spectrum and at least one wavelength in an ultraviolet spectrum to induce the at least one male BSF and the at least one female BSF to mate;

(c) attracting gravid BSFs to an oviposition chamber in communication with the mating chamber, wherein the oviposition chamber is configured to receive eggs from the gravid BSFs,

(d) shading gravid BSFs in the oviposition chamber to induce the gravid BSFs to oviposit eggs; and

(e) collecting eggs oviposited by the gravid BSFs.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the artificial light comprises visible light having a visible light intensity that is less than 400 μ

mol·

m<sup>−

2</sup>·

s<sup>−

1</sup> and ultraviolet light having an ultraviolet light intensity that is less than 100 μ

W·

cm·

<sup>−

2</sup>·

s<sup>−

1</sup>; and

the at least one artificial light source includes a 300 to 500 W quartz-iodine lamp for generating the at least one wavelength in the visible spectrum and a 50 W halogen lamp for producing the at least one wavelength in the ultraviolet spectrum.

26-35. -35. (canceled)