Survey of the Genetic Diversity ofPhormia regina(Diptera: Calliphoridae) Using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms

Abstract

There is very little information concerning carrion fly population genetic structure. We generated amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) profiles for the common blowfly, Phormia regina (Meigen), from sites spanning the contiguous United States. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) based on 232 loci found significant variation (phi(SC) = 23%) among discrete samples (those collected at a bait in one location over a short period of time). Samples collected in the same location but at different times were also distinct. When samples were pooled into geographic regions (east, central, west), the variation was negligible (phi(CT) = 0%). A Mantel test found only a very weak correlation between individual genetic and geographic distances. Relative relatedness coefficients based on shared allele proportions indicated individual samples were likely to contain close relatives. P. regina arriving at an individual carcass typically represent a nonrandom sample of the population despite a lack of geographic structure. A female blow fly produces hundreds of offspring at one time; therefore, newly emerged siblings may respond in concert to an odor plume. These results may be of interest to forensic entomologists, many of whom use a laboratory colony founded from a small sample for the growth studies that support casework. Discrepancies between published growth curves may reflect such random differences in the founding individuals.

The population genetic structure of North American Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae), and the utility of genetic assignment methods for reconstruction of postmortem corpse relocation

“…The pattern of population structure of L. sericata closely resembled what we observed for P. regina [9]. R values observed were all positive, whereas the expected R is 0 for non-relatives [24].…”

“…The amplification procedures and locus selection criteria followed Picard and Wells [9]. This resulted in the scoring of 250 polymorphic alleles from four primer combinations.…”

“…Our recent AFLP-based [8] population survey of the forensically important blowfly, Phormia regina (Diptera: Calliphoridae: Chrysomyinae), in North America, found a general pattern of panmixis [9]. However, adults arriving together at a carrion bait shared a much higher proportion of alleles than would be expected from a random sample.…”

Role of Polymerase Chain Reaction in Forensic Entomology

“…Similarly, AFLP analysis has also been used for genetic population study of Phormia regina from sites spanning the contiguous United States [37]. They found there was only a very weak correlation between individual genetic and geographic distances.…”

Assessing genetic and morphological variation in populations of Eastern European Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

“…Some species are panmictic over a wide geographic range, as is Phormia regina Meigen, 1826 (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in USA (Picard & Wells, 2009;Jordaens et al, 2013). Some appear to have distinct well separated populations, for example Lucilia cuprina Wiedemann, 1830 (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Australia (Clarke & McKenzie, 1987).…”