📸 PhotoPhoto: Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Black soldier fly
Hermetia illucens (Black soldier fly · アメリカミズアブ)
Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List yet.
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Its body length of 20 mm is slightly shorter than the diameter of a Korean 100-won coin (24 mm) (Comparison).
- 💡 It is studied for recycling decaying organic waste and as a source of livestock feed or biodiesel fuel, and compared with the house fly it carries almost no pathogens (Animal Diversity Web).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The black soldier fly is a large, wasp-like fly whose larvae voraciously consume decaying organic matter.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
Its head is small and shiny black with a white stripe on the face, and its antennae are 2 times the length of the head. Its mouthparts are sponge-like for lapping up liquids.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
It is a scavenger that eats almost any decomposing organic matter, including rotting fruit, potatoes, vegetables, compost, and livestock manure. Active during the day, it mates in flight at sites where males gather.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
It is listed as 'A-me-ri-ka-dong-ae-deung-e' (Korean name) on the National List of Species of Korea.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List: not evaluated (NE) — cross-checked with the Wikidata conservation-status entry
- • catalogueoflife.org — 3KZZM
- • 국가생물종목록(국립생물자원관) ktsn 120000022898 — https://species.nibr.go.kr/home/mainHome.do?cont_link=009&subMenu=009002&contCd=009002&ktsn=120000022898
- • wikidata.org — Q285029
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Hermetia illucens MHNT Fronton.jpg
- • animaldiversity.org — Hermetia illucens
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Edwin Price · CC BY 4.0
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.