Blow Fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Community Composition Across the Georgia Fall Line During Seasonal Transitions

Abstract

Forensic entomologists use insect development, especially in blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae), to estimate the minimum postmortem interval (mPMI). Since insect activity is driven mainly by temperature, understanding geographic and seasonal variation in community composition is critical. In the southeastern United States, approximately 10 blow fly species dominate, generally classified as “summer-active” or “winter-active” flies. We studied their presence and abundance during winter/spring and summer/fall transitions across the Georgia Fall Line (GFL), a major geophysical boundary separating the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Here we show that community structure was shaped more by regional biogeography and seasonal transitions, than by current temperature. Three species; Calliphora livida, Lucilia coeruleiviridis, and Cochliomyia macellaria accounted for over 70% of seasonal variation. Fly communities differed sharply across the GFL and shifted between seasonal transitions. Recognizing these geographic and temporal patterns can help forensic entomologists produce more accurate mPMI estimates in death investigations.