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      Effects of storage temperature on the change in size of Calliphora vicina larvae during preservation in 80% ethanol

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          Abstract

          The size of immature blowflies is a common measure to estimate the minimum time between death and the discovery of a corpse, also known as the minimum post-mortem interval. This paper investigates the effects of preservation, in 80% ethanol, on the length and weight of first instar, second instar, feeding third instar, and post-feeding third instar Calliphora vicina larvae, at three different storage temperatures. For each larval stage, the length of larvae was recorded after 0 h, 3 h, 6 h, 9 h, 12 h, 24 h, 72 h, 7 days, 14 days, 30 days, 91 days, 182 days, 273 days, and 365 days of storage in 80% ethanol, at −25°C, 6°C and 24°C. Storage temperature had no statistically significant effect on the change in larval length and weight for all larval stages, but larval length and weight were significantly affected by the duration of preservation for first, second, and feeding third instar larvae, but not for post-feeding larvae. Generally, first and second instar larvae reduced in size over time, while feeding third instar larvae increased slightly in size, and post-feeding larvae did not change in size over time. The length of blowfly larvae preserved in 80% ethanol is not affected by constant storage temperatures between −25°C and +24°C, but we recommend that forensic entomologists should use the models provided to correct for changes in larval length that do become apparent over time.

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          Most cited references15

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          Best practice in forensic entomology--standards and guidelines.

          Forensic entomology, the use of insects and other arthropods in forensic investigations, is becoming increasingly more important in such investigations. To ensure its optimal use by a diverse group of professionals including pathologists, entomologists and police officers, a common frame of guidelines and standards is essential. Therefore, the European Association for Forensic Entomology has developed a protocol document for best practice in forensic entomology, which includes an overview of equipment used for collection of entomological evidence and a detailed description of the methods applied. Together with the definitions of key terms and a short introduction to the most important methods for the estimation of the minimum postmortem interval, the present paper aims to encourage a high level of competency in the field of forensic entomology.
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            Minimum and maximum development rates of some forensically important Calliphoridae (Diptera).

            Blow fly development rates are frequently used to estimate elapsed time since death in homicide investigations in the first few weeks after death. However, in order to make more precise estimates of time since death, accurate developmental data must be generated for all carrion species, and at temperatures that are comparable with those found at crime scenes. This paper presents developmental rates determined for five forensically important species in British Columbia, Phormia regina (Meigen), Phaenicia sericata (Meigen), Eucalliphora latifrons (Hough), Lucilia illustris (Meigen), and Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, at several temperatures.
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              Effect of temperature on Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) development with special reference to the isomegalen- and isomorphen-diagram.

              Developmental behavior of eggs, larva and pupa of the blowfly species Lucilia sericata (Meigen) were studied under 10 different temperature regimes. Data from these studies were used to construct the isomegalen-diagram. In this diagram, time from hatching to peakfeeding is plotted against temperature, each line representing identical larval length at various temperatures. If the temperature is roughly constant, as is the case with corpses found indoors, the age of the maggot can be read off instantly from its length, provided that the maggot has not entered the migratory phase. Where temperature is variable, an age range can be estimated between the points where the measured larval length cuts the graph at the maximum and minimum temperatures recorded. Equally, the isomorphen-diagram representing all morphological stages from oviposition to eclosion should be used, if maggots in the migratory phase or pupae or puparia are recovered from the scene. The isomegalen- and the isomorphen-diagrams could facilitate a quick and more precise estimate of the postmortem interval even for the inexperienced investigator. In addition, our results vary from those of other investigators, suggesting a different thermal behavior of the holarctic blowfly L. sericata in various zoogeographic regions.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                c.richards@nhm.ac.uk , cam.richards@gmail.com
                m.hall@nhm.ac.uk
                Journal
                Int J Legal Med
                Int. J. Legal Med
                International Journal of Legal Medicine
                Springer-Verlag (Berlin/Heidelberg )
                0937-9827
                1437-1596
                8 March 2012
                8 March 2012
                January 2013
                : 127
                : 1
                : 231-241
                Affiliations
                Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, UK
                Article
                683
                10.1007/s00414-012-0683-9
                3538007
                22399101
                3364cc18-8556-4976-8300-73fea774c7b8
                © The Author(s) 2012
                History
                : 17 November 2011
                : 14 February 2012
                Categories
                Original Article
                Custom metadata
                © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013

                Law
                calliphora vicina,forensic entomology,post-mortem interval,preservation,storage temperature
                Law
                calliphora vicina, forensic entomology, post-mortem interval, preservation, storage temperature

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