Effects of Starter Feed and Pig Manure on the Growth of Hermetia illucens L. Larvae

【Objective】The study was to investigate the effect of starter feed on the later growth of newly hatched larvae of Hermetia illucens L., and to explore the optimal ratio of mixed compost of pig manure and wheat bran.【Method】Two groups were set: the control group fed with starter feed（whole wheat bran）at initial incubation stage and the experimental group without starter feed but the mixed wheat bran compost with pig manure contents of 90%, 80%, 60% and 50%. In the experiment, the body length, body width and body weight of the larvae were measured regularly.【Result】In the control group, the growth of body length, body width and body weight of the H. illucens L. larvae gradually increased with the decrease of pig manure content, and reached the best when the pig manure content was 50%. In the experimental group, the growth indicators of larvae showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing with the decrease of pig manure content, and reached the best when the pig manure content was 80%. Except for the 90% pig manure content, the difference between the control group and the experimental group was not significant. The overall growth indicators of the other groups showed that the control group was better than the experimental group and the difference was significant.【Conclusion】It shows that feeding the newly-hatched larvae of the H. illucens L. with starter feed is more conducive to its later growth, and the mixed compost of pig manure and wheat bran is most beneficial to the growth of larvae when the content of pig manure is 50%.