Confined Animal Facilities

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Confined Animal Facilities -Waste
production -Flies
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Black soldier fly -2 to 3 generations per
year -April through October
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-Colonizer of waste
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-50 reduction -no house flies -harvested as feed
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-Colonizer of human remains
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-Colonizer of human remains
-21 to 24 d dev. -late colonizer -20 to 30 d
postmort.
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Using the Black Soldier Fly to Estimate PMI

• Heidi Brummond1 and Jeffery K. Tomberlin2
• 1Tarleton State University 2Texas AM University,

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Objectives

• Determine life cycle of black soldier fly at
  various temperatures when reared on larval fly
  diet (comparable to past studies)

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Materials Methods

• -Three temperatures 27, 30, 36 oC
• -One replicate (on-going study)
• -300 5-d-old bsf larvae per replicate
• -One liter containers
• -Fed 10 g larval diet with
• 17 ml water (70 moisture)

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Materials Methods Continued

• -Prepupae (black in cuticle) removed, weighed and
  placed in individual 35 ml medicine cups

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Variables Measured

• -Time to prepupa

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Variables Measured

• -Time to prepupa
• -Time from prepupa to adult (by sex)

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Variables Measured

• -Time to prepupa
• -Time from prepupa to adult (by sex)
• -Daily weight of larvae

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Variables Measured

• -Time to prepupa
• -Time from prepupa to adult (by sex)
• -Daily weight of larvae
• -Prepupal weight

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Variables Measured

• -Time to prepupa
• -Time from prepupa to adult (by sex)
• -Daily weight of larvae
• -Prepupal weight
• -Adult weight

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Variables Measured

• -Time to prepupa
• -Time from prepupa to adult (by sex)
• -Daily weight of larvae
• -Prepupal weight
• -Adult weight
• -Adult longevity

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Results Weight
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Results Length of Development
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Results Survivorship
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Summary
-BSF larvae reared at three temperatures
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Summary
-BSF larvae reared at three temperatures -30oC
is optimal in comparison to other temps
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Summary
-BSF larvae reared at three temperatures -30oC
is optimal in comparison to other temps -Reduced
larval and pupal development -Increased larval,
pupal, and adult weight
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Summary
-BSF larvae reared at three temperatures -30oC
is optimal in comparison to other temps -Reduced
larval and pupal development -Increased larval,
pupal, and adult weight -Maintaining adult
longevity
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What does this have to do with Forensic
Entomology????
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Pork Chops at 27 oC
Using same methods
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Results

• -Twice as long to develop on lean pork (similar
  to human tissue) vs. larval diet 45 DAYS

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Results

• -Twice as long to develop on lean pork (similar
  to human tissue) vs. larval diet

Why is this important?
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Forensic Case Scenario

• -June 1st Body discovered with black soldier fly
  prepupae
• -Using previous data (24 d)
• would indicate colonization
• around ????

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Forensic Case Scenario

• -June 1st Body discovered with black soldier fly
  prepupae (45 day development)
• Using previous data would
• indicate colonization around
• May 1st

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Forensic Case Scenario

• -However, with new data, colonization most likely
  occurred around April 1st

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Implications of Our Work

• -Re-examine all research on development of
  forensically important species (most used beef
  liver)
• -Opens new doors for refining the use of
  entomology in criminal investigations

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Thank You!!!