Data from Effects of elevation, season, and bait type on assemblage of forensically-relevant blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in contrasting habitats of Northwestern Arizona.

The objective of this study was to identify blow fly species between two contrasting habitats in northwestern Arizona— the Black Mountains (Mojave Desert) and the Hualapai Mountains (Arizona/New Mexico Mountains). This research aimed to assess the impacts of food source (game meat (javelina; Tayassu tajacu) compared to chicken (Gallus domesticus) liver), seasonality, and elevation on blow fly biodiversity. Each habitat had three site locations at different elevational gradients (low, middle, high) with four bait traps deployed at each site (two of each meatbait type). The dataset provided included weather data from both habitats collected using one HOBO MX2301A Temperature Data Loggers (Onset Computer Corporation, Bourne, MA, USA) per habitat, with comparative data included from Kingman Regional Airport via the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (Temperature and Relative Humidity). The data set for the blow flies includes each captured identification per trap and flies re..., , # Data from Effects of elevation, season, and bait type on assemblage of forensically-relevant blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in contrasting habitats of Northwestern Arizona.

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.jdfn2z3rh](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jdfn2z3rh)

## Description of the data and file structure

Adult blow flies were sampled from January 2021 to January 2022 using baited traps deployed twice monthly across habitats with distinct thermal regimes. Trap duration was standardized using accumulated degree days (ADD; base 10 °C) to account for year-round temperature differences. Temperature and relative humidity were recorded with HOBO MX2301A data loggers at each site and supplemented with regional climate data from Kingman Regional Airport (NOAA). Traps were suspended 2–2.5 m above ground on native vegetation to minimize scavenger interference and were deployed for 1–7 days depending on thermal conditions, corresponding to ~3–28 ADD in the Mojave and ~0–24 ADD in the Hualapai. T..., ,