Publications
Check out my Google Scholar
Peer-Reviewed
(^ = corresponding or co-corresponding author; † = equal contribution; **= Graduate student mentee)
Babcock**, NJ, JL Pechal, and ME Benbow. Adult blow fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) community structure across urban-rural landscapes in Michigan, USA. Journal of Medical Entomology (in press)
Larson**, CE, JL Pechal, B Gerig, DT Chaloner, GA Lamberti, and ME Benbow. (2020) Coupled macroinvertebrate – microbial community response to a novel allochthonous resource subsidy. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 7:505. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00505
Bump, JK, PS Barton, MJ Evans, CN Foster, JL Pechal, JK Bump, MM Quaggiotto, and ME Benbow (2019) Echoing the need to quantify carrion production. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2019.11.003. (Response to Moleón et al. 2019)
Kaszubinski**, SF, JL Pechal, CJ Schmidt, HR Jordan, ME Benbow, and MH Meek. Evaluating Bioinformatic Pipeline Performance for Forensic Microbiome Analysis. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 10.1111/1556-4029.14213 (Early view)
Pechal, JL^, ME Benbow, AW Kamng’ona, A Safalaoh, K Masamba, and Jeremiah Kang’ombe. The need for alternative insect protein in Africa. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. saz046. doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saz046. Invited.
Barton, PS, MJ Evans, CN Foster, JL Pechal, JK Bump, MM Quaggiotto, and ME Benbow. 2019. Out of sight, out of mind? Discovering the hidden importance of carrion biomass in ecosystems. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2019.06.001
Burcham**, ZM, JL Pechal, CJ Schmidt, JL Bose, JW Rosch, ME Benbow, and HR Jordan (2019) Total RNA Analysis of Bacterial Community Structural and Functional Shifts throughout Vertebrate Decomposition. Journal of Forensic Sciences. doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.14083
Pechal, JL†, JL Crippen, JA Cammack, JK Tomberlin, and ME Benbow†. (2019) Microbial Communities of Salmon Resource Subsidies and Associated Necrophagous Consumers During Decomposition: Potential of Cross-Ecosystem Microbial Dispersal. Food Webs. e00114. doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2019.e00114 Invited.
Burcham**, ZM, JL Pechal, CJ Schmidt, JL Bose, JW Rosch, ME Benbow, and HR Jordan (2019) Bacterial Community Succession, Transmigration, and Differential Gene Transcription in a Controlled Vertebrate Decomposition Model. Frontiers in Microbiology. 10:745. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00745
Zhang**, Y, JL Pechal^, CJ Schmidt, HR Jordan, WW Wang, ME Benbow^, SH Sze^, and AM Tarone^ (2019) Machine learning performance in a microbial molecular autopsy context: A cross-sectional postmortem human population study. PLOS ONE. 14(4): e0213829. doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0213829
Burcham**, ZM, CJ Schmidt, JL Pechal, CP Brooks, JW Rosch, ME Benbow, and HR Jordan (2019) High Frequency Detection of Critical Antibiotic Resistance Genes through Routine Microbiome Surveillance. PLOS ONE. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0213280
Pearson, AL, A Rzotkiewicz, JL Pechal, CJ Schmidt, HR Jordan, A Zwickle, and ME Benbow (2019) The human postmortem microbiome as an indicator of urban blight and green remediation. Annals of the Association of American Geographers. doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2018.1519407
Benbow, ME, PS Barton, MD Ulyshen, JC Beasley, TL DeVault, MS Strickland, JK Tomberlin, HR Jordan, and JL Pechal (2018) The Necrobiome: A Unifying Framework for Understanding Decomposer Community Structure and Function. Ecological Monographs. 89(1): e01331. doi:10.1002/ecm.1331
Pechal, JL, CJ Schmidt, HR Jordan, and ME Benbow (2018) The Postmortem Human Microbiome Provides Insight into the Living Health Condition. Scientific Reports. 8(1): 5724. *TOP 100 READ MICROBIOLOGY PAPERS IN 2018*
Receveur**, J, JL Pechal, ME Benbow, G Donato, T Rainey, and JR Wallace. 2018. Larvicidal treatment impacts the internal microbiome of mosquitoes in hurricane created larval habitat. Microbial Ecology doi:10.1007/s00248-018-1175-3
Vizza, C, JL Pechal, ME Benbow, JM Lang, DT Chaloner, SE Jones, and GA Lamberti. 2017. Nitrate amendment reduces biofilm biomass and shifts microbial communities in remote, oligotrophic ponds. Freshwater Science. 37(2): 251-263.
Singh, B, KJ Minick, MS Strickland, KG Wickings, TL Crippen, AM Tarone, ME Benbow, N Sufrin, JK Tomberlin, and JL Pechal (2018) Temporal and Spatial Impact of Human Cadaver Decomposition on Soil Bacterial and Arthropod Community Structure and Function. Frontiers in Microbiology. 8: 2616.
Moore, HE, JL Pechal, ME Benbow, and FP Drijfhout. The potential use of cuticular hydrocarbons and multivariate analysis to age empty puparial cases of Calliphora vicina and Lucilia sericata. Scientific Reports 16; 7(1): 1933.
Weatherbee**, CR, JL Pechal, T Stamper, and ME Benbow. 2017. Post-Colonization Interval Estimates Using Multi-Species Calliphoridae Larval Masses and Spatially Distinct Temperature Data Sets: A Case Study. Insects. 8 (40): 1-17.
Barton, PS, MJ Evans, JL Pechal, and ME Benbow. 2017. Necrophilous insect dynamics at small vertebrate carrion in a temperate eucalypt woodland. Journal of Medical Entomology. 54(4): 964–973.
Pechal, JL, CJ Schmidt, HR Jordan, and ME Benbow. 2017. Frozen: Thawing and Its Effect on the Postmortem Microbiome in Two Pediatric Cases. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 62(4):1399-1405.
Weatherbee**, CR, JL Pechal, and ME Benbow. 2017. The Dynamic Maggot Mass Microbiome. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 110(1), 45-53. Invited.
Burcham**, ZM, JA Hood, JL Pechal, KL Krausz, JL Bose, CJ Schmidt, and ME Benbow. 2016. Fluorescently Labeled Bacteria Provide Insight on Post-mortem Microbial Transmigration. Forensic Science International. 264: 63–69.
Lang, JM, R Erb, JL Pechal, JR Wallace, RW McEwan, and ME Benbow. 2016. Microbial Biofilm Community Variation in Flowing Habitats: Potential Utility as Bioindicators of Postmortem Submersion Intervals. Microorganisms. 4(1): 1-17.
Finley, SJ†, JL Pechal†, ME Benbow, BK Robertson, and GT Javan. 2016. Microbial signatures of cadaver gravesoil across decomposition. Microbial Ecology. 71(3), 524-529.
Pechal, JL^, and ME Benbow. 2016. Microbial ecology of the salmon necrobiome: Evidence salmon carrion decomposition influences aquatic and terrestrial insect microbiomes. Environmental Microbiology. 18(5): 1511–1522.
Tomberlin, JK, A van Huis, ME Benbow, HR Jordan, D Astuti, D Azzollini, I Banks, V Bava, C Borgemeister, JA Cammack, RS Chapkin, H Čičková, TL Crippen, A Day, H Deventer, M Dicke, S Diener, D Drew, C Emhart, M Epstein, U Fanger, M Finke, CH Fischer, D Gatlin, NT Grabowski, R Han, C He, L Heckman, A Hubert, J Joseph, SK Khanal, JF Kleinfinger, G Klein, A Lawrence, C Leach, A Llecha, Y Liu, GL Newton, R Olivier, JL Pechal, CJ Picard, E Pieterse, S Rojo, A Roncarati, C Sheppard, A Stamer, AM Tarone, K Unger, , B Verstappen, A Vickerson, H Yang, A Yen, Z Yu, J Zhang, W Zheng, and L Zheng. 2015. Protecting the Environment Through Insect Farming as a Means to Produce Protein for Use as Livestock, Poultry, and Aquaculture Feed. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed. 1(4): 307-309.
Benbow, ME, and JL Pechal. 2015. Microbial Interactions of the Necrobiome: Basic Research and Forensic Applications. Microbiologist. 16 (3): 26-29.
Benbow, ME, JL Pechal, JM Lang, R Erb, and RJ Wallace. 2015. The potential of high-throughput metagenomic sequencing of aquatic bacterial communities to estimate the postmortem submersion interval. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 60(6): 1500–1510.
Pechal, JL^, ME Benbow, JK Tomberlin, TL Crippen, AM Tarone, B Singh, and PA Lenhart. 2015. Field Documentation of Unusual Post-Mortem Arthropod Activity on Human Remains. Journal of Medical Entomology. 52(1): 105–108. doi:10.1093/jme/tju012
Pechal, JL^, HE Moore, F Drijfhout, and ME Benbow. 2014. Hydrocarbon profiles throughout adult Calliphoridae aging: A promising tool for forensic entomology. Forensic Science International 245: 65-71. PMID: 25447177. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.10.019
Pechal, JL^, ME Benbow, TL Crippen, AM Tarone, and JK Tomberlin. 2014. Delayed insect access alters carrion decomposition and necrophagous insect community assembly. Ecosphere 5(4): art45.
Pechal, JL^, TL Crippen, ME Benbow, AM Tarone, S Dowd, and JK Tomberlin. 2014. The potential use of bacterial community succession in forensics as described by high throughput metagenomic sequencing. International Journal of Legal Medicine 128(1): 193-205. *One of the most frequently downloaded papers in 2015 published in this journal
Pechal, JL^, TL Crippen, AM Tarone, AJ Lewis, JK Tomberlin, and ME Benbow. 2013. Microbial Community Functional Change During Vertebrate Carrion Decomposition. PLOS ONE 8(11): e79035 PMID: 24265741. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0079035
Benbow, ME, AJ Lewis, JK Tomberlin, and JL Pechal. 2013. Seasonal Necrophagous Insect Community Assembly During Vertebrate Carrion Decomposition. Journal of Medical Entomology 50(2): 440-450. PMID: 23540134. doi:10.1603/ME12194.
Tomberlin, JK, TL Crippen, AM Tarone, B Singh, K Adams, YH Rezenom, ME Benbow, M Flores, M Longnecker, JL Pechal, DH Russell, RC Beier, and TK Wood. 2012. Interkingdom responses of flies to bacteria mediated by fly physiology and bacterial quorum sensing. Animal Behaviour 84: 1449-1456. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.09.013.
Pechal, JL^, ME Benbow, and JK Tomberlin. 2011. Merope tuber Newman (Mecoptera: Meropidae) collected in association with carrion in Greene County, Ohio, USA: an infrequent collection of an elusive species. The American Midland Naturalist 166(2): 453-457. doi:10.1674/0003-0031-166.2.453.
Sanford, MR, JL Pechal, and JK Tomberlin. 2011. Rehydration of forensically important larval Diptera specimens. Journal of Medical Entomology 48(1): 118-125. PMID: 21337957. doi:10.1603/ME10126.
Pechal, JL^, JW Austin, AL Szalanski, RE Gold, and JK Tomberlin. 2008. Genetic analysis of Periplaneta americana (Blattodea: Blattidae) in central Texas using the ITS1 region. Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology 25(3): 179-191. doi:10.3954/1523-5475-25.3.179.
Pechal, JL^, JW Austin, RE Gold, and JK Tomberlin. 2007. Epidemiology and spatial relationships of bacteria associated with Periplaneta americana (Blattodea: Blattidae) in central Texas. Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology 24 (4): 205-216. doi:10.3954/1523-5475-24.4.205.
Invited Book Chapters
Benbow, ME and JL Pechal (expected 2019). Forensic Entomology and the Microbiome. In: Entomological Evidence: The Utility of Arthropods in Legal Investigations, 3rd edition. J Byrd and JK Tomberlin (Eds). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Benbow, ME, JL Pechal, JK Tomberlin, and Heather R. Jordan (2018) Interkingdom Community Interactions in Disease Ecology. In: Advances in Environmental Microbiology: The Connections between Ecology and Infectious Disease, Volume 5. CJ Hurst (Ed). Springer International Publishing, AG Switzerland.
Pechal, JL, ME Benbow, and TL Crippen. 2017. Sampling Methods and Data Generation. In: Forensic Microbiology. DO Carter, JK Tomberlin, ME Benbow, and JL Metcalf (Eds). Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, NJ, pp. 109-132.
Benbow, ME, and JL Pechal. 2017. Approaches and Considerations for Forensic Microbiology Decomposition Research. In: Forensic Microbiology. DO Carter, JK Tomberlin, ME Benbow, and JL Metcalf (Eds). Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, NJ, pp. 92-108.
Benbow, ME, JL Pechal, and AK Ward. Heterotrophic bacteria production and microbial community assessment. In: Methods in Stream Ecology, 3rd Edition. FR Hauer and GA Lamberti (Eds). Academic Press, Burlington, MA (expected release 2017)
Pechal, JL, and ME Benbow. 2015. Community Ecology. In: Forensic Entomology: International Dimensions and Frontiers. JK Tomberlin and ME Benbow (Eds). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 347-360.
Benbow, ME, JL Pechal, and RM Mohr. 2015. Community and Landscape Ecology of Carrion. In: Carrion Ecology, Evolution and Their Applications. ME Benbow, JK Tomberlin and AM Tarone (Eds). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 151-186.
Crippen, TL, ME Benbow, and JL Pechal. 2015. Microbial Interactions during Carrion Decomposition. In: Carrion Ecology, Evolution and Their Applications. ME Benbow, JK Tomberlin and AM Tarone (Eds). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 31-64.
Benbow, ME, RW Merritt, and JL Pechal. 2013. Entomology. In: Wiley Encyclopedia of Forensic Science. A Jamieson and AA Moenssens (Eds). John Wiley, Chichester, England. pp. 1–14.