The effects of initial conditions on blowfly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) oviposition

The timing of first exposure of a decedent characterizes an initial condition that can potentially affect the onset and course of carrion/scavenger insect community succession. Blowflies are well known to be initial colonizers but do not lay eggs at night; as a consequence we expect the appearance of blowfly eggs to be delayed on exposed carrion placed just after evening civil twilight as compared to morning civil twilight. The arrival and activity of other forensically significant taxa may not be affected. A shift in initial colonization by blowflies may impact and alter the patterns of downstream effects of carrion arthropod succession resulting in observable effects on the way decomposition of a decedent develops. The Period of Insect Activity associated with remains is used to determine the Post Mortem Interval in forensic investigations. The characterization of potential changes in succession and decomposition would aid investigators in estimating when a decedent died.