Day 6: 21 June 2009

The pig carcasses are in the bloated stage of decomposition. The smell is very pungent and the maggot activity is increasing. As maggots mature, they reach a post-feeding stage in which they will move off of a carcass in search of a dry, cool place where they can burrow in the ground and pupate. After about 1 week, adult flies will emerge from the puparium. In order to capture maggots or beetles dispersing from the carcass, pitfall traps were placed around each pig. These traps consist of a container buried in the ground 30 cm from the carcass in each direction (N, S, E, and W) and alcohol poured in the preserve any specimens that become trapped.

Adult flies were collected from each pig as well as maggots for preservation and rearing. Beetles and ants were sampled if available.

Pig 1. Location: University Farm. Pig is very bloated; skin is sloughing off in some areas (Above). Large maggots are feeding on the face, exposing bone and teeth (Middle). Very large maggot mass on the hind leg and underside of the pig (Below).

Pig 4. Location: CSU. Blowfly activity and large egg mass on face and near hind leg (Above). Abscess on leg is bloated and discolored (Middle). Ants crawl across the eggs on the face; maggots feed in the mouth (Below).

Pig 5. Location: University Farm. Blowfly activity on the carcass; skin is sloughing off the bloated pig (Above). Close up of the belly showing the activity (Below).

Submitted by Krystal Hans, MS student, Cleveland State University, 7 July 2009.