Spatial distribution of blow fly species in relation to carrion availability in Essex County, Ontario

Blow fly species are known to show different habitat and seasonal preferences, but specific land-use elements have not been examined. My research aims to examine blow fly distribution and abundance among many land-use types including farm, residential, commercial, waste and conservation using geographic information system (GIS). These land-use locations are all predictors of carrion availability, because a large majority of the meat produced globally is wasted during consumption and animal production. Other distinct elements that will be used to predict carrion availability include roadkill and traffic volume data. Following this, sites were randomly chosen using a stratified random sampling approach to trap blowflies across the gradient of land-use predicted to influence carrion availability. This allows us to not only measure blow fly species diversity along this gradient but can also be used to analyze species availability and diversity across a temporal scale such as seasonal. This knowledge furthers our understanding of blow fly co-existence across a spatial and temporal landscape. By trapping blow flies in various locations, we can further estimate the land-use locations that blow flies are inhabiting and are showing a preference towards —allowing us to determine where highly concentrated areas of carrion are present. Using blow fly distribution, we can further understand many aspects of their ecology and biology, including feeding, reproduction, population dynamics, predator-prey interactions, seasonal and diurnal changes, and physiology.