Technical Note: Effects of Makeshift Storage in Different Liquors on Larvae of the Blowflies Calliphora vicina and Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Unexpected findings of forensically important insects might prompt makeshift storage in alternative liquids if the proper equipment is lacking. The assessment of whether such evidence can still be used and correctly interpreted can be difficult. In this study, the effects of using alcoholic beverages as storing agents for post-feeding larvae of Calliphora vicina and Lucilia sericata were analyzed. Larvae were killed with boiling water (HWK) or placed alive into four alcoholic liquids: two spirits, vodka and brandy, and two liquors, Jägermeister and peppermint schnapps. Storage effects were documented after one day, nine days, and one month and compared to larvae treated according to guidelines for forensic entomology. Results show that the method of killing larvae is more important than the storing medium. Storage of HWK larvae in high-alcohol/low-sugar spirits had almost negligible effects on both species, while all fresh larvae shrank significantly. High sugar contents of the beverages might additionally lead to shrinkage of larvae

Flies Do Not Jump to Conclusions: Estimation of the Minimum Post-Mortem Interval for a Partly Skeletonized Body Based on Larvae of Phormia regina (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Skeletonization is often perceived as an indicator of long post-mortem intervals. The finding of feeding larvae of first colonizers, on the other hand, indicates days. We present a case in which both findings were present. Larvae of Phormia regina, aged 9 days, and skeletonization of the head and part of the thorax were both found on an unidentified female body. Identification of dentures eventually led to resolution of the case and a confession, which settled the seeming contradiction in favor of forensic entomology

Larval muscle attachment site (MAS) patterns are a conserved character among Piophilini flies (Diptera, Piophilidae)

The dorsoventral muscle attachment sites (MAS) patterns are described for six species of the tribe Piophilini (Diptera: Piophilidae): Centrophlebomyia furcata (Fabricius), Liopiophila varipes (Meigen), Piophila casei (Linnaeus), Piophila megastigmata McAlpine, Prochyliza nigrimana (Meigen) and Stearibia nigriceps (Meigen). Comparison between the MAS patterns of Piophilini and previous descriptions for Calliphoridae (Diptera) revealed differences in the muscle equipment between the larvae of both taxa. Among the Piophilini, the MAS patterns were highly conserved and only a genus-specific pattern for Piophila species and a species-specific pattern for C. furcata were found. Nevertheless, these differences in MAS patterns were subtle and some intraspecific variability was observed; hence, the MAS patterns do not appear to be suitable as diagnostic characters allowing for species determination of Piophilini larvae

Connecting the Dots: From an Easy Method to Computerized Species Determination

Differences in growth rate of forensically important dipteran larvae make species determination an essential requisite for an accurate estimation of time since colonization of the body. Interspecific morphological similarities, however, complicate species determination. Muscle attachment site (MAS) patterns on the inside of the cuticula of fly larvae are species specific and grow proportionally with the animal. The patterns can therefore be used for species identification, as well as age estimation in forensically important dipteran larvae. Additionally, in species where determination has proven to be difficult—even when employing genetic methods—this easy and cheap method can be successfully applied. The method was validated for a number of Calliphoridae, as well as Sarcophagidae; for Piophilidae species, however, the method proved to be inapt. The aim of this article is to assess the utility of the MAS method for applications in forensic entomology. Furthermore, the authors are currently engineering automation for pattern acquisition in order to expand the scope of the method. Automation is also required for the fast and reasonable application of MAS for species determination. Using filters on digital microscope pictures and cross-correlating them within their frequency range allows for a calculation of the correlation coefficients. Such pattern recognition permits an automatic comparison of one larva with a database of MAS reference patterns in order to find the correct, or at least the most likely, species. This facilitates species determination in immature stages of forensically important flies and economizes time investment, as rearing to adult flies will no longer be required