Body size is a recognised factor impacting mating success of a number of insect species. The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), which is mass produced to convert organic waste to protein, exhibits a lekking behaviour necessary for mating. However, it is not known if adult body size impacts mating success and subsequent fertile egg production. In this study, larvae were raised at two densities to produce two size classes of adults (i.e. large and small). Hourly mating observations were recorded in the following studies: (1) homogenous populations of large or small adults; (2) 50% heterogenous populations (equal number of large males with small females and vice versa); and (3) 25% heterogenous (i.e. equal number of large and small adults for both sexes). Adult weight, morphometrics of resulting adults, total number of mating pairs and failed mating attempts, multiple matings, as well as eggs produced and associated hatch rate were recorded for each experiment. Morphometrics and weights in large adults were 21 and 50% greater than small adult males and females by size and weight, respectively. The first experiment of homogenous populations (i.e. large or small) showed no significant differences across other variables measured. However, when populations of different sized adults were mixed equally based on sex (i.e. 50% heterogenous populations), mating success increased 50 to 100% for small males with large females and large males with small females, respectively. Total number of multiple matings increased two to three times. Egg production decreased 15-20% and hatch rate declined approximately 10%. In the 25% heterogenous populations, data were more complex. Number of successful mating pairs across male size was 280% greater than in the homogenous populations. Number of failed mating attempts was also two to three times greater. Multiple matings overall were low (10%) for the homogenous and heterogenous populations. Large males demonstrated two times more aggression in general than small males in the heterogenous than the homogenous populations. Approximately 48 to 343% more eggs were produced in the 25% heterogenous population than large or small homogenous populations, respectively, while hatch rate did not differ among heterogenous and homogenous populations, with an average of 70%. However, the variability in egg hatch was forty times greater than the large homogenous and 40% greater than the small homogenous. While increased egg production is desired, high variability in egg hatch impedes fertile egg production and predictability at an industrial scale.

中文翻译：

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成年体形对黑士兵蝇（Hermetia illucens（L.））交配成功的影响（双翅目：Stratiomyidae）

体型是影响许多昆虫物种交配成功的公认因素。黑人士兵苍蝇，Hermetia illucens（L。）（双翅目：Stratiomyidae）是为将有机废物转化为蛋白质而大量生产的，表现出交配所必需的沥水行为。但是，尚不清楚成年体重是否会影响交配成功和随后的可育卵的产生。在这项研究中，以两种密度饲养幼虫，以产生两种大小等级的成虫（即大和小）。在以下研究中记录了每小时的交配观察结果：（1）大型或小型成年人的同质种群；（2）50％的异类人口（大公与小女相等，反之亦然）；（3）异质性为25％（即，成年男性和女性的数量相等）。成年体重，成年成年人的形态计量学，交配对总数和失败交配尝试，多次交配，记录每个实验的卵以及孵化率。成年人的形态和体重分别比大小成年的雄性和雌性大21和50％。均质种群（即大或小的）的第一个实验显示，其他测量变量之间没有显着差异。但是，当不同性别的成年种群按性别平等混合时（即50％的异类种群），雄性大的雌性小型雄性和雌性小的大雄性交配成功率分别提高了50％至100％。多次交配的总数增加了两到三倍。产蛋量下降15-20％，孵化率下降约10％。在25％的异质人群中，数据更为复杂。雄性大小的成功配对对的数量比同质种群大280％。尝试失败的交配次数也增加了两到三倍。对于同质和异质种群，总体交配总体较低（10％）。在异质人群中，大型雄性的侵略性一般比小型雄性大两倍。在25％的异质种群中，分别比大的或小的同质种群多生产48-343％的卵，而异种和同质种群的孵化率没有差异，平均为70％。但是，卵孵化的变异性比大同种蛋大40倍，比小同种蛋大40％。希望增加产蛋量，