Predicting blow fly species (Diptera: Calliphoridae) habitat and resource preferences in Essex County, ON, CA

Blow flies have been well studied in forensic science due to their role in carrion decomposition, myiasis, and forensic entomology. Many studies have observed generalized habitat preferences such as shady and sunny, rural, and urban, and seasonal preferences. Despite such extensive research in these areas, there is still much that is unknown about blow fly habitat and resource preferences. This study examines the relationships between adult blow flies and land-use, topographic, traffic, and climatic preferences (i.e., average temperature). A novel sampling protocol was established and focuses on sites deemed rich in carrion resources. Blow flies were trapped at 44 locations across Windsor-Essex County, ON during the Spring, Summer and Fall of 2020. A total of 4,649 blow flies among 12 different species were identified. By utilizing a geographic information system, a set of land-use factors, along with various other parameters in rural or urban settings were identified. These include commercial, residential, waste, streams, various traffic volumes, elevation, average seasonal temperatures, and crop types. Two km buffers were generated for each sampling site, and data for each of the above-mentioned resource parameters were extracted within each buffer resulting in a geodatabase of layers and resource variables. Statistical analyses were performed to determine the level of relationship between each parameter, potentially giving insight into habitat composition. By determining blow fly resource and habitat preferences, we gain greater understanding of the coexistence mechanisms within the Calliphoridae and provide species-specific ecological knowledge relating to blow fly adults that may aid in forensic investigations.