Examination of Nocturnal Blow Fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Oviposition on Pig Carcasses in Mid-Michigan

The most common application of forensic entomology involves estimating a portion of the postmortem interval (PMI) which usually assumes that blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) do not oviposit nocturnally. Research objectives were to (1) investigate blow fly nocturnal oviposition ill relation to sunrise and sunset ill Michigan; (2) evaluate abiotic variables postulated to affect blow fly oviposition;and (3) conduct laboratory experiment its testing blow fly activity under complete darkness. In 2006, nocturnal oviposition was evaluated in relation to sunset by exposing pigs to fly colonization at 1-h intervals, beginning 2 h before and ending 2 h after sunset. This test was replicated ill 2007; however, replicate pigs were placed ill the field 2 h after sunset, and hourly observations were made into the following morning. Oviposition was never observed A night. In a laboratory experiment, Lucilia sericata (Meigen), never oviposited oil liver hanging above or placed directly oil the ground in a completely dark room, Another dark room laboratory study documented that adult flies launched into the air could not fly. This study documents that the probability of nocturnal oviposition Oil pig carcasses ill Michigan was extremely low to nonexistent. These results should be considered when estimating it portion of the PMI in forensic entomological investigations.