Pests > Pests Entities > Insects > Flies > Hermetia illucens, Thailand



Pests > Pests Entities > Insects > Flies > Hermetia illucens, Thailand

Pests Pests Entities Insects Flies Hermetia illucens, Thailand

Hermetia illucens

April 2006. A question and photo from Thailand: what is this insect that crawled out of a mushroom cultivation sack filled with banana leaves.

The answer is a larvae of a soldier fly, possibly Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae). They like moist soil with a very high organic matter content and thrive in compost heaps. A photo of an adult was sent to PestNet (right). Vietnam reported that they are studying this fly for household food recycling.