INSECT SUCCESSION ON CARRION IN THREE BlOGEOCLlMATlC ZONES OF BRITISH.COLUMBIA a . Leigh Celerte Dillon B.Sc., University of Waterloo, 1993 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF i THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGR& OF -9 MASTER OF SCIENCE in the Deparbnent of Biological Sciences O Leigh Celeste Dillon, 1997 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY April 1997 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permiasion of the author. b , APPROVAL 3 Name: Leigh C. Dillon Degree: Master of Science i p Title of Thesis: 4 INSECT SUCC~%SIONON CARRION IN THREE BIOGEOCLIMATIC ZONES OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Examining Committee: t Ghair: Dr. F. Law, Professor D . ~;~kndersdn,'AssistantProfessor, Senior Supervisor Zepartment of Biological Sciences, SFU -~ Dr. 4. Borden, Professor Department of Biological Sciences, SFU Dr.A. Harestad, Associate Professor. Department of Biological Sciences, SFU - Dr. P. Belton, ~djunct-~rofessor Department of Biological Sciences, SFU Public Examiner National Library Bibliotheque nationale qf Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON KlA ON4 Canada Canada ~ Your hle Votre reference Our h& Notre rekrence The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence non + exclusive licence allowing the exclusive pennettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prGter, distribuer ou copies of th~sthesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. - la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format electronique. The autbr retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriete du copyright in thls thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege-cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts from it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or odewise de celle-ci ne doivent &e imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autonsation. 1 ABSTRACT Iemmined habitat, season,and geographic bcatkn as fadm that affect the development, species and sequence of ins& twodated with pig c~cleasS8Sh British Columbia between 1994 and 1996. Development rates of immature Calliphoridae @bw fties) and insed succession on pig carcasses varied with habitat, season and biogeodimgk zone. High temperatures, presence of dothing and scavenging oontributed to fast decomposition, whereas cold temperatures, lack of clathing and lack of moisture corrtributed to slaw decomposlm rates. Blow fly species were not exdusivety assodated with a particular habm or season. Hawever, -- - Cellphgp vomitma, Lucilia illustris, and Pmtcphm femenovse possibly had biieodirnatk preferences. Cdonbatii by flies in the families Pihilidae and Fanniidae and beetles in the famity Derrnestidae occurred earlier than that reported in dher regions. CMiby piophilids and fanniids was delayed or absent on scavenged, or desiccated carcasses and on carcasses subjected to cdd temperatures. Few habitrd or seasonal preferences were distinguishable among beetles in the families Cleridae and Dennestidae. tiowever, ~IWmoisture associated with particular seasons and zones was related to the presence of insects in these families. Clothing increased insect diversity on carcasses, whereas scavenging by vertebrates reduced insect diversity. Decomposition rates of and insect succession on black bear and agarcarcasses were broadly similar to those for clothed pigs. The species of insects and their development rates on pig and wildlife carcasses provide forensic standards that can be used to determine time since death of humans and wildlife. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My research was supported in part by the Canadian Police Research Centre. World Aidlife Fund, Canadian Wildlife Senrice. Metcatf Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, Animal Welfare Foundation and Northwest Wldlife Presewation Society. Ithank: the International ~ssociation. for Identification, the Canadian Society of Forensic Science, and the Canadian Wildlife Foundation for providing scholarships; the staff of Malcolm Knapp and Alex Fraser UBC Research Forests for providing research sites and support; M. Van Ham, and 0. Williams for donating laboratory and living facilis; D. Ashworth, R S~~~WIS, K. Owens. and D. Ellid of B.C. - Conservation Service, Mini* of ~nvironrneifor donat'is of mlifecarrion; H. Felstein of Gbbal Terminal Transportation Services and C. NeweU of the B.C. Conmen Service for research opportunities associated with human death investigations; Dr. VI Bourne and C. Hildred for photography and slide assistance; B. Wbs, M. Dodan and the students of Ogden Secondary High School for volunteer vmk; Sgt. K Beiko for hicontinued support throughaut this project; Dr. J. Surprenant, J. Poirier, Dr. G. Gibson, Dr. L. LeSage, Dr. J. Read, Dr. A. Davies, Dr. S. Laptante, Dr. A. Srnetana, Dr. Y. Bousquet, Dr. D. E. Bright and Dr. M. D. of Bissystematics Institute of Canada for kindly verifying and identifying insects; Insp. J. Healy, Sgt. J. Gaudet, Insp. H. Leroy, G. Simo, C. Tretheway, N. MacDonell, T. Mikolajczyk, S. VanLaerhoven, P. Irani, J. Wiles, D. Lux, Dr. C. Beninger, G. St. Hilaire, M. Poirier, Dr. L. Poirier, V. Hernandez. L. Scatchard, M. LeBlan~.~and H. Johl for advice and support; my committee members, Drs. J. Borden, and A. Harsrstad for advice, guidance and critical reviews, and Dr. G. S. Anderson, my Senior Supervisor and mentor, for the opportunity to do this research and for her ongoing . , support and advice. i This endeavor midnot have been possible without the continued advice, guidance and encoumgement from my mother, Cab1 Dilbn; and,farni)y, Mel, Matt, Kathleen, Lisa, and Lau# = Dilbn; and my fiand, Bruce Scatchard. % TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROVAL ................................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ v * LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................vi ... LIST Of TABLES......................................................................................................... VIM . LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS ........................................................................................... ix r 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 2 . METHODS AND MATERIALS ....................................;i ..............................................6 2.1 RESEARCHLOCATIONS .............................................................................................. I 5 2.2 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNFOR PIGS............................................................................. 12 2.3 EXPERIMENTAL METHODSFOR PIGS.......................................................................... 12 2.4 EXPERIMENTALMETHODS FOR WILDLIFE........ :'.................... , ..................................... 14 2.5 CATEGORIESOF DECOMPOSITION......... ; ................................................................... 16 3 . RESULTS.............................................................................................................. 23 3.1 DECOMPOSITION...................................................................................................... 23 3.2 INSECTACTIVITY ...................................................................................................... 34 3.2.1Blow fly Clevelopment ....................................................................................34 3.2.2 insect Successim ............................................................................................48 4.1 EFFECTSOF HABITATAND SEASON.......................................................................... 64 4.2 INFLUENCEOF CLOTHING.......................................................................................... 67 4.3 INFLUENCEOF SCAVENGING..................................................................................... 68 4.4 SUCCESSION............................................................................................................ 69 4.5 WILDLIFE................................................................................................................. 70 REFERENCES .... ;..................................................................................................... 72 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 51 1 ' Distribution of the Coastal Western Hemlock (CWH) biogeoclimatic zone. 6 2 Distribution of the Interior Douglas-fir (IDF) biogeoclimatic zone. 8 3 Distribution of the Sub-Boreal Spruce (SBS) biogeoclimatic zone. 10 4 Mean duration of decay stages of pig carcasses (n = 5 with exception of fall-sun (clothed) bar where n = 2) during 1994-1995 in three biogeoclimatic zones. The end of the postdecay stage during spring in the Interior Douglas-fir (IDF) zone (marked with a question mark) was not observed. All pig carcasses in the IDF and Sub- Boreal Spruce (SBS) zones were clothed. Duration of decay stages for Bear 1, 2 and mean duration of decay stages for Cougars 1-5 during 1994-1995 in two biogeoclimatic zones. Bear carcasses were received fresh, cougar carcasses were received frozen. Mean