The paper presents the review of scientific publications of world literature on the use of the larvae of black soldier fly ( Hermetia illucens) when feeding poultry. Nowadays, the issue of replacing traditional sources of protein when feeding poultry is very urgent, especially in connection with the global food crisis. Insects are the natural food of most birds; thus, the use of fly larvae for feed production has a biological basis. The research results presented in published works show that there are no negative effects on bird health and meat quality when feeding poultry, quail and other birds. In some cases, the experimental groups of birds gained weight slightly more slowly than the control group. Other reports indicate that birds grew at the same rate as normal birds. The quantity and quality of eggs did not differ significantly, but dietary changes affected the colour of yolks and eggshell. The effect of the addition of live larvae to the diet of young turkeys on the weight characteristics of was studied. Replacing 10% of the daily amount of feed with live Hermetia illucens larvae in the diet of turkeys showed that the daily feed intake and body weight gain of the experimental birds were significantly higher compared to the control groups, which led to a significantly higher body weight of chicks at the age of five weeks (2.19 kg vs. 2.015 kg, respectively) and a significantly lower feed conversion rate. Most researchers agree that replacing protein in poultry feed with insect flour should be partial, in the 15–30% range. Feeding with larvae that have undergone processing – grinding, chitin removing, heat treatment – is more preferable than using whole larvae, since the chitinous membrane makes larvae difficult to be digested in the digestive tract of birds.

The artificially made kernels from ground wheat grain, commercial wheat starch and wheat proteinaceous a-amylase inhibitors in different proportions were used as feed for adults of the granary weevil iSitophilus granarius L.). In the case of larvae of the confused flour beetle (Tribolium con/usum Duv.) and the Mediterranean flour moth (Anagasta kuehniella Zell.) the friable feed mixture were used. The survival of S. granarius adults has not been correlated with the soluble proteins extracted from wheat and amylolytic activity located in this protein fraction. On the other hand the weight of dust (the index of feeding intensity) produced during feeding has depended on the presence of a-amylase and trypsin inhibitors in wheat-based feed. A. kuehniella larvae have not developed at all on feed consisted of 50% wheat starch and 50% of crude a-amylase inhibitors from wheat. The same feed has caused 15.1 days of extension in development time of T. confusum larvae. It attests to specific native enzymatic apparatus existing in alimentary canals of three damaging grain species which can overcome some obstacles even if extremely highly active insect a-amylase inhibitors were present in feed. However, the sufficient nutrient should be available in feed compounds. Nevertheless, some reduction of insects population can be expected.