Biodiversity and distribution of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) across New Jersey ecoregions

One of the most important instances in which insects can benefit investigation of criminal cases is the determination of colonization time of human remains by blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae), which can subsequently be used to predict a minimum post-mortem interval (m-PMI). However, the presence of a specific blow fly species in a given location is influenced by many abiotic and biotic variables such as temperature and habitat. New Jersey encompasses five distinct eco-regions, making it environmentally diverse. However, very little is known about the diversity and distribution of blow flies in the state. We conducted a survey of adult blow flies collected at six sites in three eco-regions in New Jersey from January through December of 2012. During that time, 5,099 adult blow flies were collected, and species composition and abundance were analyzed. A total of 12 species across five genera were identified, and blow fly assemblages were determined to be variable by season. These findings are the first observations of blow fly communities in New Jersey and can be applied to surrounding states where data are severely lacking. Future work will examine if there is phenotypic variation in developmental characteristics of the blow fly Phormia regina (determined by the present study to be a model species) based on geographical location within New Jersey.