Distribution and biodiversity of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) throughout New Jersey

One of the most important aspects where insects can benefit criminal cases is the determination of colonization time, which can subsequently be used to predict a minimum post-mortem interval (m-PMI). Development rate can vary between different blow fly species and within a species across populations. A survey of adult blow flies collected from six geographical regions in New Jersey from January through June (2012) was conducted. Species within the following genera were identified during the course of this survey; Lucilia, Calliphora, Phormia and Cynomya. The results of this survey analyzed here discuss the abundance and diversity of these species. This quantification of the forensically important Calliphoridae will be used to determine a model species for future development studies examining developmental plasticity as related to temperature and geographic location in New Jersey.