State record and continued surveillance of the oriental latrine fly at the Anthropology Research Facility, Knoxville, TN

The Oriental Latrine Fly, Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), is an invasive blow fly of medical and forensic importance. Larvae of C. megacephala can develop in human feces and adults are known to harbor even greater loads of antibiotic-resistant bacteria than house flies. The synanthropic tendencies of this species makes it a potential threat to human health. Here, we present the first published record of C. megacephala in Tennessee, USA. Collections of adult and larval blow flies were made from two sets of human remains decomposing on the ground surface at the Anthropology Research Facility (ARF) at the University of Tennessee in fall 2020. N=4 adults and N=3 larvae were collected from human donors. All seven samples were confirmed by an expert to be C. megacephala. These results support previous claims of continued changes in dispersal patterns of this species. In addition, these results demonstrate that C. megacephala is actively colonizing human remains in a semi-urban environment. Distribution records are critical for tracking the movement of C. megacephala across the United States. We are implementing continuous surveillance for this species at the ARF to determine trends in population dynamics (e.g., its arrival to Knoxville), adult feeding and oviposition behavior, and interspecific competitive effects of larvae on human remains.