UPDATE: We now want to include the dates of sightings so that we can also map the seasonality of BSF reproduction for each location.

The BSF Mapping Project is a Google map displaying the locations of confirmed BSF sightings/populations and range of dates in any given season. We will continually add data which is submitted with adequate documentation. To submit data please start a new thread in this section with your country/state/city etc. in the title or you may use the following email link blacksoldierflymappingproject@gmail.com.

Provide as much of the following information as possible:

Location - City, county, province, prefecture, etc., or specific coordinates (see notes below map at the bottom of this post). If providing coordinates note that to protect your privacy you may want select a point away from your actual residence but within the general area.

Elevation - If you know the elevation of your location please include it. Otherwise we'll get it off the web which may be slightly less accurate.

Photographic evidence or detailed description of anatomy - As there are other species with larvae similar to BSFL photos of adult flies are preferred for positive identification (link). You may upload images directly in your forum post by attaching the image files (link) or post images using a url from a third party image host such as PhotoBucket, Image Shack, etc. Submitted photos will be uploaded to our server. If you prefer to send images directly to us you may use the following email link blacksoldierflymappingproject@gmail.com.

The range of dates that BSF adults are observed. - We all know that BSF are found in certain regions, but it's less known exactly when the adults first appear to begin mating and when they cease for the season in any particular location. Please include the date of your sighting and also update it as you can confirm earlier and later sightings.

For larvae; size or stage of development-juvenile (light) or mature (dark), type of waste being consumed

For adult flies; time of day, weather conditions, observed behavior

Website URL - You may include the url for your website for inclusion in the published data.

Credit - Please clarify if you want your name to appear with the submission, whether you wish to publish your full or partial name, or if you want to use a screen (internet) name.

Notes:

• To determine location coordinates you can use these online utilities
  
  • http://stevemorse.org/jcal/latlon.php
  • http://www.getlatlon.com/
  • http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/geocode
  Coordinates can be in three formats: decimal degrees or degrees-minutes or degrees-minutes-seconds. These free online tools will give them in decimal degrees which are preferred but not mandatory.
  
  To protect your privacy you may want select a point away from your actual residence but within the general area.

There are other species of flies with larvae similar in behavior and appearance to the Black Soldier Fly. The following is details of those we know about at present.

The larvae of the Garden Soldier Fly (Exaireta spinigera) look much the same as BSF larvae and are also excellent detritivores which can be found in compost piles. The adults are different (have larger rear legs) from BSF so photos of the adults are preferred for a positive identification.

The species is native to Australia and has been introduced to New Zealand, Hawaii, California and Canada. It arrived in Hawaii in the 1890s, in California about 1985 and in Canada (British Columbia) around 2002 (link).

Another species with larvae and pupae that look like BSF has been tentatively identified as Ptecticus trivittatus - Yellow Soldier Fly (link). The photos below are of pupa described as "fairly common near my outdoor composting systems during the warmer months of the year" in southern Ontario Canada (link).

They have been sited in the NE states too. The following are excerpts from a post on a University of Minnesota website (link) regarding investigating a report of 'wasps' infesting a home during the winter (soldier flies are wasp 'mimics')

" This is a species that is particularly associated with composts ... She eventually asked whether these flies could be associated with composts. They had brought a worm compost box indoors so the worms would not freeze. It was in a plastic tub with a cover but there were small air holes. She wondered whether the soldier flies could be in the compost. That of course was the source of the problem and why they were seeing such persistent numbers."

Cephalochrysa rufibasis (Walker) "bronze" soldier fly occurs in South Africa (link). Their mature larvae have zig-zag stripes.