Species Diversity and Seasonal Abundance of Stomoxyinae (Diptera: Muscidae) and Tabanid Flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) on a Beef Cattle and a Buffalo Farm in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Southern Thailand.

This study investigated species diversity and seasonal abundance of Stomoxyinae and tabanid flies, which are significant pests and vectors of animal pathogens, on a beef cattle and a buffalo farm in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, southern Thailand. During a one-year period from December 2020 to November 2021, flies were collected using Nzi traps from 6 a.m.

Variations in cuticular hydrocarbons of Calliphora vicina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) empty puparia: Insights for estimating late postmortem intervals.

Necrophagous flies, particularly blowflies, serve as vital indicators in forensic entomology and ecological studies, contributing to minimum postmortem interval estimations and environmental monitoring. The study investigates variations in the predominant cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) viz. n-C25, n-C27, n-C28, and n-C29 of empty puparia of Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, (Diptera: Calliphoridae) across diverse environmental conditions, including burial, above-ground and indoor settings, over 90 days.

A methodological approach to age estimation of the intra-puparial period of the forensically relevant blow fly Calliphora vicina via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Estimating the age of immature blow flies is of great importance for forensic entomology. However, no gold-standard technique for an accurate determination of the intra-puparial age has yet been established. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a method to (bio-)chemically characterise material based on the absorbance of electromagnetic energy by functional groups of molecules.

Catch me if you can-emission patterns of human bodies in relation to postmortem changes.

The present study examines for the first time the emission patterns and olfactory signatures of 9 complete human corpses of different stages of decomposition. Air sampling was performed inside the body bags with solid sorbents and analysed by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after thermal desorption (TD-GC-MS). Furthermore, odour-related substances were detected by gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O).

Developmental differences in spatially distinct populations of the forensically relevant blow fly Lucilia sericata - About the comparability of developmental studies (and case work application).

The cosmopolitan blow fly Lucilia sericata is often used in forensic case work for estimating the minimum postmortem interval (PMI). For this, the age of immature specimens developing on the dead body is calculated by measuring the time taken to reach the sampled developmental stage at a given temperature. To test whether regional developmental data of L.

Deciphering the impact of microenvironmental factors on cuticular hydrocarbon degradation in Lucilia sericata empty Puparia: Bridging ecological and forensic entomological perspectives using machine learning models.

Blow flies (Calliphoridae) play essential ecological roles in nutrient recycling by consuming decaying organic matter. They serve as valuable bioindicators in ecosystem management and forensic entomology, with their unique feeding behavior leading to the accumulation of environmental pollutants in their cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), making them potential indicators of exposure history. This study focuses on CHC degradation dynamics in empty puparia of Lucilia sericata under different environmental conditions for up to 90 days.

Cuticular hydrocarbons as weathering biomarkers of empty puparia of the forensically important blowfly Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in soil v/s under room conditions.

Forensic entomology uses the age of insects, such as blow flies, to determine a minimum post-mortem interval (PMImin). Recent research has focused on using the analysis of specific cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) in adult insects and their empty puparia to estimate their age, as it has been shown that their profile changes are consistent with age. The current work is based on the weathering of five CHCs from empty puparia of Calliphora vicina that were stored in soil (field/outdoor) and non-soil (room/indoor conditions) based pupariation media for a total of six months.

Establishment of a multiplex PCR-CE assay for the simultaneous and rapid analysis of age markers for Calliphora vicina pupae.

Insects, especially blow flies, are forensically relevant to determine the minimal postmortem interval (PMI), based on the fact that they are usually the first colonisers of a body. By estimating the age of immature blow flies, interferences can be made about the time since death. Whilst morphological parameters are valuable for age estimation of blow fly larvae, gene expression profiling is more applicable for blow fly pupae.

Decomposition and insect succession of pig cadavers in tents versus outdoors - A preliminary study.

The pattern of insect succession and the species composition on cadavers can be influenced by several parameters, one of which is concealment. It has been previously shown for cadavers inside containers (e.g.

Multimethod combination for age estimation of Sarcophaga peregrina (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) with implications for estimation of the postmortem interval.

Sarcophaga peregrina (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) is a forensically important flesh fly with potential value for estimating the minimum postmortem interval (PMI). Here, the developmental patterns of S. peregrina were investigated at 5 constant temperatures (15-35 °C).

Geographical Variation of Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles of Adult Flies and Empty Puparia Amongst Three Populations of Calliphora vicina (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are of great importance in forensic entomology and in determining the minimum post-mortem interval, as they may be the first group of insects to colonize decomposing remains. Reliable species identification is an essential prerequisite. Classically, morphological characters or DNA sequences are used for this purpose.

A standard protocol for the analysis of postmortem muscle protein degradation: process optimization and considerations for the application in forensic PMI estimation.

The analysis of postmortem protein degradation has become of large interest for the estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI). Although several techniques have been published in recent years, protein degradation-based techniques still largely did not exceed basic research stages. Reasons include impractical and complex sampling procedures, as well as highly variable protocols in the literature, making it difficult to compare results.

Cuticular hydrocarbons for the identification and geographic assignment of empty puparia of forensically important flies.

Research in social insects has shown that hydrocarbons on their cuticle are species-specific. This has also been proven for Diptera and is a promising tool for identifying important fly taxa in Forensic Entomology. Sometimes the empty puparia, in which the metamorphosis to the adult fly has taken place, can be the most useful entomological evidence at the crime scene.

Wing morphometrics as a tool for the identification of forensic important Lucilia spp. (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

Blow flies of the genera Lucilia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are considered forensically important species across several regions of the world. Due to the similarity of adults, especially females, the usual methods based on morphology or even molecular techniques can experience some limitations; therefore, alternative or supportive tools are required. Recently, the landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis has been applied to discriminate many insects on genus and species level.

Dynamics of insects, microorganisms and muscle mRNA on pig carcasses and their significances in estimating PMI.

The accurate estimate of the postmortem interval (PMI) is of vital significance in the investigation of homicide cases. In this study, three pig carcasses were placed in the field to study the pattern of insect succession, the change of microorganisms and the degradation of muscle tissue RNA during the decomposition process. The results showed that insects could quickly colonize the carcasses and still exist on them until the end of the experiment (41 days).

The time of death in Dutch court; using the Daubert criteria to evaluate methods to estimate the PMI used in court.

When a capital crime is committed the post-mortem interval (PMI) is of particular importance in investigating a suspect's alibi in court. A forensic expert can use different methods to estimate the PMI. This research focuses on who is considered an expert in court and whether the methods used to estimate the PMI are reliable.

It is all about the insects: a retrospective on 20 years of forensic entomology highlights the importance of insects in legal investigations.

This study highlights the importance of insect evidence by evaluating 949 insect-associated cases, including 139 entomological reports, from 2001 to 2019 at the Institute of Legal Medicine Frankfurt/Germany. With a high number of cases in the summer months and a low number in the colder season, 78.5% of the bodies were found indoors, regardless of year or month.

Influence of storage on larval length and age determination of the forensically important blow fly Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

One of the main tasks in forensic entomology is the determination of the minimum post-mortem interval (PMI) based on the age of the juvenile insects feeding and developing on the dead body. An important task is to store the evidence appropriately so that the evaluation and expert report can be used in court. However, existing recommendations can be contradictory or lacking scientific validation, e.

Insect Decline-A Forensic Issue?

Recent reports have shown a dramatic loss in insect species and biomass. Since forensic entomology relies on the presence of insects, the question is whether this decline effects the discipline. The present review confirms that numerous studies document insect population declines or even extinction, despite the fact that the rates of decline and the methods used to demonstrate it are still much debated.

The Forensic Entomology Case Report-A Global Perspective.

Forensic practitioners analyzing entomological evidence are faced with numerous challenges when presenting their findings to law practitioners, particularly in terms of terminology used to describe insect age, what this means for colonization time of remains, and the limitations to estimates made. Due to varying legal requirements in different countries, there is no standard format for the entomological case report prepared, nor any guidelines as to the sections that are required, optional or unnecessary in a case report. The authors herein propose sections that should be considered when drafting an entomological case report.

To Be There or Not to Be There, That Is the Question-On the Problem of Delayed Sampling of Entomological Evidence.

The aim of the current study was to analyze two major pitfalls in forensic entomological casework: delayed evidence sampling and the effect of low-temperature storage of the body. For this purpose, temperature profiles of heavily infested corpses during cooling and cases in which insect evidence was collected both at the scene and during autopsy were evaluated with regard to species composition and development stages found. The results show that the temperature in the body bags remained at higher average temperatures up to 10 °C relative to the mortuary cooler, therefore, sufficient for larval development, with significant differences in temperature between larval aggregations on one and the same body.

Time Flies-Age Grading of Adult Flies for the Estimation of the Post-Mortem Interval.

The estimation of the minimum time since death is one of the main applications of forensic entomology. This can be done by calculating the age of the immature stage of necrophagous flies developing on the corpse, which is confined to approximately 2-4 weeks, depending on temperature and species of the first colonizing wave of flies. Adding the age of the adult flies developed on the dead body could extend this time frame up to several weeks when the body is in a building or closed premise.

The applicability of forensic time since death estimation methods for buried bodies in advanced decomposition stages.

Estimation of the postmortem interval in advanced postmortem stages is a challenging task. Although there are several approaches available for addressing postmortem changes of a (human) body or its environment (ecologically and/or biochemically), most are restricted to specific timeframes and/or individual and environmental conditions. It is well known, for instance, that buried bodies decompose in a remarkably different manner than on the ground surface.

Age determination of the adult blow fly Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) through quantitative pteridine fluorescence analysis.

Determination of a minimal postmortem interval via age estimation of necrophagous diptera has been restricted to the juvenile stages and the time until emergence of the adult fly, i.e. up until 2-6 weeks depending on species and temperature.