The Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei ) is the most widely produced shrimp species worldwide, reaching a global production of over 4 million metric tons in 2019. However, the intensification of shrimp production increased its susceptibility to disease outbreaks. Considering that the utilization of antibiotics has fallen out of favor due to numerous reasons, developing cost-effective feed additive s which can not only inhibit pathogens but also enhance the immune response and increase the resistance of shrimp to various pathogens has considerable potential. Lauric acid (LA) , a 12-carbon saturated fatty acid, which is the most prominent fatty acid in the lipid of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), has antimicrobial and immune-boosting properties. Thus, it was anticipated that growing BSFL on substrates that have elevated levels of LA would further concentrate this fatty acid in the insects and resulting meal , which could naturally enhance the immunity of shrimp if provided as a dietary supplement. Therefore , the main objectives of the present study were a) evaluate the use of substrates high in LA in enriching BSFL with LA; b) e valuate the effects of incremental levels of dietary LA in both purified form and in BSFL on shrimp’s growth performance and immune response. BSFL were produced in t riplicate containers containing 7 kg of substrate and approximately 10,000 small BSFL . A control substrate (Gainesville House Fly Diet, 300 g kg-1 of alfalfa meal, 500 g kg-1 of wheat bran, 200 g kg-1 of cornmeal) and an experimental substate consisting of a 70/3 0 mixture of control substrate and fresh coconut shavings were utilized . After 7 days of growing on the respective substrate, larvae were harvested, purged, processed, and analyzed for proximate and fatty acid compositions. The proximate analysis showed an increase up to 87% in the lipid content of the LA-enriched BSFL meal . In addition, t he LA concentration of larvae produced with LA-rich substrate was 31% higher in comparison to BSFL reared on the control substrate. To evaluate the effects of LA on shrimp responses , 420 shrimp juveniles (~1.2 g initial weight) were equally distributed in 35 aquaria (110-L) operating as a recirculating system and offered the experimental diets four times a day to apparent satiation for 56 days. The treatments consisted of diets containing LA from a purified commercial source (0.6, 1.0, and 1.6%), and LA from regular BSFL meal, a 50/50 mixture of regular BSFL meal and LA-enriched BSFL, and LA-enriched BSFL ( providing LA at 0.9, 1.5, and 2.3%, respectively). At the end of the feeding trial , hemolymph samples were collected and total hemocyte count (THC), phenol oxidase (PO) and lysozyme (LZ) activities were determined. Although no differences were found for PO and LZ activities, a significantly higher THC was observed in shrimp fed diets containing 0.6% purified LA and 1.5% of LA from LA-enriched BSFL meal. Our results show that it is possible to concentrate the levels of this fatty acid in BSFL and resulting meal, and that LA promoted an increase in the number of shrimp defense cells, which could potentially increase their resistance against pathogens. Further studies are needed to evaluate the putative immune-boosting capacity of LA under stress and bacterial challenges.