DISTRIBUTION OF CLUSTER FLY SPECIES (POLLENIA SPP, DIPTERA: CALLIPHORIDAE) ACROSS CANADA INCLUDING RANGE EXTENSIONS AND FIRST PROVINCIAL RECORDS A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, Ontario, Canada © Copyright by Bshayer A. Samkari 2018 Environmental & Life Sciences M.Sc. Graduate Program September 2018 Abstract Distribution of Cluster Fly Species (Pollenia, spp. Diptera: Calliphoridae) Across Canada Including Range Extensions and First Provincial Records Bshayer A. Samkari This thesis looks at the genus Pollenia: historically where they were first introduced into Canada and spatially, where they are found now. This project involved me identifying 2211 files, sorted from the 3 years of field specimens obtained in 2011, 2012, 2013. P. pediculata was the most abundant and widespread, yielding 1272 specimens out of 2211, and it was found in all provinces sampled. The previous understanding of all Pollenia specimens as being P. rudis appears to be incorrect both in terms of actual number of species – which is known – and how prevalent it is. P. rudis comprised only 20% of the entire collection. The least common was P. griseotomentosa, occurring as 45 of 2211, or 2%. I found new eight first provincial records: four species in Alberta (P. angustigena, P. labialis, P. rudis, P. vagabunda) , one species for Saskatchewan (P. pediculata), two for New Brunswick (P. griseotomentosa, P. labialis), and one for Nova Scotia (P. labialis). P. labialis was new to three provinces, the other species to one province each. ii Front piece: Cluster flies on the side of a farm house in Dummer-Douro, in September 2016. iii Acknowledgements I thank my thesis advisor Dr. David V. Beresford at Trent University for accepting me in his lab. Being a part of his team taught me a lot. The steep learning curve that I have been through was not possible without his gaudiness and instruction. The door to Prof. [Beresford] office was always open whenever I ran into a trouble spot or had a question about my research or writing. He consistently allowed this paper to be my own work, but steered me in the right direction whenever he thought I needed it. I also thank the experts who were involved in the committee for this research project: Dr. David Beresford, Dr. Eric Sager, and Dr. Tom Hutchinson. The committee members always give thoughtful advices and ideas to make this research successful. Without their passionate participation and input, the research could not have been successfully conducted. I acknowledge Sarah Langer who collected the samples I used for my work as part of her own MSc studies; and Kathryn Vezsenyi, who confirmed my identifications. I am gratefully indebted to both. I also thank Linda Cardwell, the Program Co-ordinator, for Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate Program, at Trent University for giving me the chance to be in this program and achieve my dream. My family: thank you for being with me through this journey especially my brother for being supportive all the time. iv Table of Contents Title page .........................................................................................................................................i Abstract …………................………………………………………………......….....………..…. ii Front piece Cluster flies on the side of a farm house in Dummer-Douro, in September 2016..... iii Acknowledgement ……......…………………………………………………………..….............. iv Table of Contents ……..............................………..………………………………...........…........v List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………………vi List of Tables…………………………………………………………………………………….vi Chapter 1. Introduction and a history of Pollenia in Ontario ……………………….……............1 The genus Pollenia ………………………………………….…………….……...............4 Ecology of Pollenia ………………………………………..………………………..........6 Historic records of Pollenia in North America ………………….…………….……..............7 Historic records of Pollenia in Ontario …………………………..…………………..............8 Chapter 2: Distribution of cluster fly species (Pollenia spp, Diptera: Calliphoridae) ………............10 across Canada including range extensions and first provincial records Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………........10 Materials and methods ………………………………………………………………….......13 Results ……………………………………………………………………………................13 Discussion ……………………………………………………………………………..........16 Chapter 3. Conclusion: What we know and what we still do not know ……………………….........17 A personal note ………...……………………………………….…………………….......................19 References ……………………………………………………………………………………..........28 Appendix ………………………………………………………………………………………........32 v List of Figures Figure 1. Two cluster flies showing the blond hairs on the thorax that distinguish them …..…...2 from other blow flies, and the characteristic way of holding the wings when resting. Photo taken in August 2017 in Dummer-Douro Township, Ontario. Figure 2. Typical rural window scene from the Peterborough area in autumn, covered…….....…5 with cluster flies. Photo taken in early November 2017 in Dummer-Douro Township. Figure 3. Cluster fly (Pollenia) on wild carrot flower (Daucus carota), photo taken …………12 August 14, 2018, in Peterborough County. Figures 4 to 10. Figure 4 shows the locations of where the samples were obtained. …………. 20 Figures 5 to 10 are the range maps of Pollenia, arranged alphabetically by species. The red spots indicate first provincial records for individual species. The area of each spot represents the number of specimens caught at those sites from the entire collection (scale in lower right corner). Figure 4. Sample locations………………………………………………………….…. 21 Figure 5. P. angustigena ……………………………………………………………… 22 Figure 6. P. griseotomentosa………………………………………………………….. 23 Figure 7. P. labialis……………………………………………………………………. 24 Figure 8. P. pediculata………………………………………………………………… 25 Figure 9. P. rudis………………………………………………………………………. 26 Figure 10. P. vagabunda………………………………………………………….…… 27 List of Tables Table 1. Pollenia species from the collection, by province, with * beside a number …………. 15 meaning a first record for that species from that province. vi Chapter 1. Introduction and a history of Pollenia in Ontario In this thesis I have two main chapters. In this first chapter I trace the history of cluster flies in North America. In the second chapter I present my own research, with new range records, base on an earlier collection of blow flies. These chapters are followed by a final chapter where I summarize my work. Members of the family Calliphoridae (order: Diptera) are commonly called blow flies. They are also known as blue bottles, green bottles, or bottle flies (Nagy et al. 2013). The adults range lengthwise from 5 to 15 mm. The young insects of Calliphoridae feed on carrion as well as rotting organic matter, this is why they are called blow flies. Being blown is an old expression for meat that has been filled with maggots. Anglers also rear blowfly larvae for fishing as bait. Within the family of blow flies are a group that are important pollinators, the cluster flies of the genus Pollenia. Cluster flies are not harmful, but people think they are harmful because they cluster on windows and walls, often dying in large numbers on the floors near windows in country homes; because of this, people think cluster flies carry diseases. Cluster flies have mouthparts like house flies (Musca domestica). Unlike house flies which go to garbage and dirty places, cluster flies visit trees and flowers, and do not carry diseases (Jewiss-Gaines et al. 2012). Blow flies likely have a polyphyletic origin (Nagy et al. 2013). Characteristically the Calliphoridae adults are shiny with metallic coloring, often blue, green or else black thoraces as well as abdomen. The cluster flies are unlike this, they are usually have blond hairs on their thorax (Fig. 1, and Front piece), they are black and grey, and are smaller than the other blow flies. All species of blow flies are identified using the spines and bristles on the meron (Tsokos, 2005). 1 Figure 1. Two cluster flies showing the blond hairs on the thorax that distinguish them from other blow flies, and the characteristic way of holding the wings when resting. Photo taken in August 2017 in Dummer-Douro Township, Ontario. 2 Adult flies taste using the final tarsal section of their legs (feet). These have gustatory spines as well as flavor hairs. These hairs have a hole at the end to taste with (Nagy et al. 2013). The feet perform a groundwork tasting of materials. This initial tasting allows the fly to avoid ingesting harmful substances until it approves of the chemical flavor. Then the hairs surrounding the rim of the mouthparts, the labellum, tastes, working in a similar way as the tarsal hairs (Jewiss-Gaines et al. 2012). As a result, part of previous meal is reserved for the next feeding. This liquid is recovered and then reprocessed; this is one of the ways that microorganisms spread. Blow flies can travel up to 30 km to acquire food (Nagy et al. 2013). This means that any fly that stopped for a short moment on a sugar bowl or on a glass can deposit bacteria from manure or compost from as far away as 30 km. This is what happens with house flies, and most blow flies. However, the Pollenia usually do not visit garbage or feces, but will visit dead animals to feed, meaning they spread far less disease when they land. All female blow flies must consume protein to grow