Postfeeding Larval Dispersal Behavior of Late Season Blow Flies (Calliphoridae) in Southern Ontario, Canada

作者：Turpin Chantal^*; Kyle Christopher; Beresford David V

来源：Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2014, 59(5): 1295-1302.

DOI：10.1111/1556-4029.12469

• forensic science
• forensic entomology
• blowflies
• postfeeding dispersal
• pupation
• postmortem interval
• collection procedures
• seasonal effect
• variance
• mean ratio
• Lucilia illustris

Postfeeding dispersal involves migration of larvae away from their food source in order to pupate. Puparia are difficult to find, yet are important for estimating PMI, and missing puparia during collection can result in inaccurate estimations. This study investigates the late season maggot dispersal patterns for blow flies at coyote carcasses in two habitats with an aim to improving puparia collection procedures. Puparia samples collected from various dispersal distances and directions tested the spatial distribution patterns of the various species using the variance/mean ratio (VMR). Lucilia illustris was the most common species to emerge, with a preferred minimum dispersal distance of more than 50.8cm and an overall VMR value of 14.91, indicating this species had a clumped distribution pattern. These findings highlight that current collection procedures that use random sampling from under carcasses do not adequately account for the spatial distribution of larvae.

• 出版日期2014-9