sustainability Review Lipids from Hermetia illucens, an Innovative and Sustainable Source Antonio Franco 1,2,† , Carmen Scieuzo 1,2,† , Rosanna Salvia 1,2, * ,† , Anna Maria Petrone 1 , Elena Tafi 1 , Antonio Moretta 1 , Eric Schmitt 3 and Patrizia Falabella 1,2, *   Citation: Franco, A.; Scieuzo, C.; Salvia, R.; Petrone, A.M.; Tafi, E.; Moretta, A.; Schmitt, E.; Falabella, P. Lipids from Hermetia illucens, an Innovative and Sustainable Source. Sustainability 2021, 13, 10198. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810198 Academic Editor: Attila Gere Received: 16 July 2021 Accepted: 8 September 2021 Published: 13 September 2021 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- iations. Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). 1 Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy; antonio.franco@unibas.it (A.F.); carmen.scieuzo@unibas.it (C.S.); annamariapetrone1988@gmail.com (A.M.P.); elena.tafi@unibas.it (E.T.); antonio.moretta@unibas.it (A.M.) 2 Spinoff XFlies s.r.l, Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy 3 Protix B.V., Industriestaat 3, NC 5107 Dongen, The Netherlands; eric.schmitt@protix.eu * Correspondence: r.salvia@unibas.it (R.S.);patrizia.falabella@unibas.it (P.F.) † These authors contributed equally to this work. Abstract: The exponential increase of global demand for proteins and lipids can no longer be satisfied by classical sources. High amounts of CO 2 produced by intensive livestock breeding and its effects on the environment are the main factors that prevent the use of animals as primary sources for proteins and lipids, calling for the use of new sustainable sources, such as insects. The massive breeding of bioconverter insects as a feed source has been a major topic in recent years, with both economic and scientific aspects related to rearing and subsequent processing optimization. The larvae of Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) (also known as Black Soldier Fly) can be used for the eco-sustainable production of proteins and lipids with high biological and economic value. Lipids can be obtained from BSF bioconversion processes and are present in high quantities in the last instar larvae and prepupae. Fats obtained from BSF are used as animal feed ingredients, in the formulation of several products for personal care, and in biodiesel production. To enable the use of insect-derived lipids, it is important to understand how to optimize their extraction. Here, we summarize the published information on the composition, the extraction methods, and the possible applications of the BSF lipid component. Keywords: bioconversion; fats; sustainability; animal feed; biodiesel; Black Soldier Fly 1. Introduction Insects are the greatest example of biodiversity on earth and their role in the ecosystem is extremely varied [1]. Although insects are often considered pests, they provide important ecological services, above all pollination of wild flora and crops, and are a source of useful biomolecules [2]. Insects also act as reliable indicators of environmental quality [3], and they can be used as a tool for biological control of pests [4]. Moreover, insects could represent innovative and alternative models in biological, medical and environmental studies [5], and they are one of the best sources of inspiration for biomimicry, to develop useful innovations for improving the quality of life through the use of biotechnology. Indeed, insects can represent a new source of genes, molecules and mechanisms of interest to agriculture, forestry, biomedicine and industry, as well as in other technological applications [6]. Bioconverter species represent an important group of insects from an ecological point of view, as they are able to consume many animal and plant decaying organic substrates during their larval development, when they are growing rapidly and accumulating biomass. Thus, several food waste and by-products can potentially be recovered and used as feed for these insects, rather than having to be disposed of in a conventional way, acquiring a new value. Sustainability 2021, 13, 10198. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810198 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability