My Honors Thesis/ Creative Project was an collection of art pieces that were based on a research done at West Campus in Dr. Weidner's forensic entomology laboratory. In this research, two swine carcasses were place outdoors for 21 days during…
My Honors Thesis/ Creative Project was an collection of art pieces that were based on a research done at West Campus in Dr. Weidner's forensic entomology laboratory. In this research, two swine carcasses were place outdoors for 21 days during the four seasons. The goal was to collect insects that approached and colonized the carcasses. The collected data can be used to determine the TOC (time of colonization) of some insects; thus, it can help to calculate the PMI (postmortem interval). Different collection were used like larvae rearing, pitfalls, netting, and hand collection. The larvae were reared into adulthood and then identified into a species. The rest of the insects were identified into orders. To present this information, the data collected from the two carcasses was combined to make the presentation easier to understand. I created four circular canvases to present the collection of flies in each check. It shows both flies were reared and which were seen or collected. The other series of work that I sculpted were 120 ceramics flowers to represent the insects orders that were observed in each season and check. During my thesis defense, I presented the research project, and how my project can help people understand this research.
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Arizona is number one in the nation for the most food waste sent to landfills according to a study by LawnStarter® (Ardoin, 2021). This unsustainable practice of food disposal has the potential to be mitigated with the use of black…
Arizona is number one in the nation for the most food waste sent to landfills according to a study by LawnStarter® (Ardoin, 2021). This unsustainable practice of food disposal has the potential to be mitigated with the use of black soldier flies (BSF) (Stratiomyidae: Hermetia illucens) as currently explored by Arizona Worm Farm (AWF). BSF larvae consume the food waste allowing a more sustainable method of disposal. In addition, these larvae can be a food source for livestock. In order to improve AWF’s current program, analysis of the facility, climate, food sources, organization, and pest identification was conducted. A series of tests were designed to determine the effectiveness of, and to make improvements to, existing feeding protocols and food sources. These included nutritional analysis of the larvae, feed conversion tests, and pH analysis and moisture content examination of the standard diet of spent brewer’s grain. Environmental parameters were improved through a new organizational system, a new light source for mating, new methods for controlling humidity, and sealed enclosures for pest prevention to increase efficiency and productivity of the program. The previous open water source for adults resulted in higher mortality rates than a new system which allows for the adults to receive moisture on a cloth and reduces the risk of drowning. This study led to the development of a comprehensive protocol that will improve and grow AWF’s program by reducing mortality of adults from pests, open water, and dry conditions. Other BSF programs will be able to use this for guidance in order to raise BSF on a large scale, as a food source and for waste reduction in their own communities.
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When it comes to murder, there are many ways to go about it. From blunt force trauma to gunshot wounds to strangulation. However, there is one way that can be very effective and can even look accidental. This is through…
When it comes to murder, there are many ways to go about it. From blunt force trauma to gunshot wounds to strangulation. However, there is one way that can be very effective and can even look accidental. This is through poisoning, more specifically, using plants as a weapon. Now there are many plant poisoning cases throughout the state of Arizona, most being accidental and dealing with animals, but there is also malicious intent behind some. The plants Nerium oleander L. (Oleander), Cycas revoluta Thunb. (Sago Palm), Ricinus communis L. (Castor Bean), Datura stramonium L. (Jimsonweed), and Cicuta virosa L. (Water Hemlock) are known to be poisonous and they are utilized by both murderers and those that wish to attempt suicide. These are also killers of many animals whether that be livestock or the family dog who got into something they should not have. The toxin in these plants breaks down on its own and over time can become untraceable. Most of them will also cause death if not treated within a few hours of ingestion, making them the perfect weapon to use to get away with murder.
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Forensic entomology is the use of insects in legal investigations, and relies heavily upon calculating the time of colonization (TOC) of insects on remains using temperature-dependent growth rates. If a body is exposed to temperatures that exceed an insect’s critical…
Forensic entomology is the use of insects in legal investigations, and relies heavily upon calculating the time of colonization (TOC) of insects on remains using temperature-dependent growth rates. If a body is exposed to temperatures that exceed an insect’s critical limit, TOC calculations could be severely affected. The determination of critical thermal limits of forensically-relevant insects is crucial, as their presence or absence could alter the overall postmortem interval (PMI) calculation. This study focuses on the larvae of Phormia regina (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), a forensically relevant blow fly common across North America. Three populations were examined (Arizona, Colorado, and New Jersey), and five day old larvae were exposed to one of two temperatures, 39℃ or 45℃, for five hours. Across all colonies, the survival rate was lower at 45℃ than 39℃, in both larval and emerged adult stages. The Arizona colony experienced a harsher drop in survival rates at 45℃ than either the Colorado or New Jersey colonies. This research suggests that the range of 39℃ - 45℃ approaches the critical thermal limit for P. regina, but does not yet exhibit a near or complete failure of survivorship that a critical temperature would cause at this duration of time. However, there is opportunity for further studies to examine this critical temperature by investigating other temperatures within the 39℃ - 45℃ range and at longer durations of time in these temperatures.
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