FROM WASTE TO VALUE: THE BIOCONVERSION POTENTIAL of Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) (DIPTERA: CALLIPHORIDAE)

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Polat N.

16TH INTERNATIONAL ARTEMIS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CONGRESS, Bucuresti, Romanya, 28 - 30 Ağustos 2026, ss.327-329, (Özet Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Doi Numarası: 10.30546/19023.978-9952-610-88-8.2026.100.1145
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Bucuresti
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Romanya
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.327-329
  • Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The management of organic waste, the third largest source of global CO₂ emissions, has become critical

both for environmental sustainability and the need for alternative protein sources; conventional disposal

methods such as composting, landfilling, and incineration are energy-intensive, slow, and yield no

valuable by-products. Insect-based bioconversion addresses this challenge with low energy consumption

and low greenhouse gas emissions. This study examines the bioconversion potential of Lucilia sericata

(the green bottle fly) larvae, a necrophagous Calliphoridae species, in transforming organic waste into

protein, fat, and biofertilizer. Third-instar larvae (12–18 mm) employ an exointestinal digestive strategy

in which proteolytic enzymes liquefy the tissue matrix and convert nutrients into biomass with high

efficiency. Literature data show that L. sericata larvae reduce waste mass 2.5–5.5-fold, with

bioconversion rates of 16.6%–39.6% and larval yields approaching 304 g; fish waste is the most efficient

substrate owing to its high protein content. Larval nutritional composition is substrate- and temperature-dependent,

with the highest protein content (17.1%, wet basis) reported on chicken intestine and the

highest fat content (>7%) on liver substrates, while the digestive tract’s ability to inactivate pathogens

supports both feed safety and biomedical potential. The bioconversion cycle yields three value-added

products—larval meal, frass biofertilizer, and larval oil—in a single process consistent with circular

economy objectives, with applications in aquaculture feed, agriculture, medicine, and industrial waste

management; larval oil additionally offers potential for biodiesel production. Notably, the antibacterial

activity of larval secretions links bioconversion biology to maggot debridement therapy (MDT) on a

shared basis. Nevertheless, regulatory constraints, pathogen contamination risks, scaling requirements

such as automation and odour management, and substrate-dependent variability in nutritional profiles

constitute the primary barriers to industrial adoption, particularly given that pilot-scale experience with

L. sericata remains limited compared with Hermetia illucens. In conclusion, L. sericata is a promising

agent for sustainable protein production within the circular economy given its optimizable nutritional

profile and low environmental footprint. Mixed-waste strategies based on species diversity, micronutrient enrichment such as selenium, temperature–substrate optimisation, and life cycle analyses

constitute priority directions for future research, indicating that L. sericata-based systems deserve

consideration as a scientifically and economically sustainable alternative for waste valorisation.

Keywords: Lucilia sericata, bioconversion, organic waste, larval biomass, alternative protein, circular

economy