ArticleBMC biology2025
Genetic differentiation in domesticated black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) populations.
Article in BMC biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Beyond the Black Box: Reproductive Strategies of the Black Soldier Fly as a Model for Bridging Evolutionary Biology and Applied Entomology.Evolutionary applications · 2026Review
- Transgenerational dynamics of gut microbiota in black soldier fly larvae (Microbiology spectrum · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) is widely used for waste bioconversion and sustainable protein production. However, domestication and prolonged captive rearing can rapidly alter genetic diversity and population structure. This study investigated how selective breeding, genetic drift, and relaxed selection have shaped genomic variation and effective population size in multiple BSF populations. Using genome-wide restriction site-associated DNA sequencing, we analysed population structure, heterozygosity, and selection signatures across 11 BSF populations, including 1 long-term domesticated line, 5 selectively bred lines (Line A to Line E), 3 wild-derived populations, and 2 commercial strains.
resultsDespite shared origins, lines LA to LE diverged rapidly within 6 years. Principal component analysis and ADMIXTURE clustering (K = 11) revealed that LC to LE retained close genetic affinity, while LA and LB diverged markedly from each other and LC-LE. Demographic reconstructions using Stairway Plot showed that effective population sizes increased during the initial homogenized selective breeding phase (2018-2019) but declined after 2022, consistent with bottlenecks and relaxed selection. Wild-derived populations maintained higher heterozygosity and lower inbreeding coefficients than domesticated lines. Finally, genome-wide analyses identified 133 candidate genes under selection, including signatures of balancing selection and selective sweeps, reflecting divergent evolution under domestication.
conclusionsThese findings demonstrate that genetic differentiation occurs rapidly in BSF populations under domestication, driven by artificial selection, relaxation, genetic drift, and environmental adaptation. These results highlight the need for genetic monitoring in breeding programmes, including maintenance of large founder populations, periodic genetic assessment, and genetic rescue to preserve adaptive potential and reduce inbreeding risks.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.