Variation in Developmental Time for Geographically Distinct Populations of the Common Green Bottle Fly, Lucilia sericata (Meigen)

• NCJ Number: 230726
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 55 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2010 Pages: 438-450
• Author(s): Meagan B. Gallagher, M.S.; Sonia Sandhu, B.S.; Robert Kimsey, Ph.D.
• Date Published: March 2010
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Presented at the Spring Seminar for the California Association of Criminalists, May 8, 2008 in San Diego, CA.

Annotation

In a series of common garden experiments, we investigated the developmental rate variation between populations of Lucilia sericata collected from Sacramento, CA, San Diego, CA, and Easton, MA at 16 degrees C, 26 degrees C, and 36 degrees C.

Abstract

Time between death and discovery of remains, or postmortem interval (PMI), can be assessed using blow fly maggot age. Forensic entomologists rely on published, often nonlocal, species-specific developmental tables to determine maggot age. For the 16 degree C trial the time measurement started at egg hatch, while for the higher temperatures the experiment began at oviposition; the wandering stage signified the endpoint for all experiments. The distribution of developmental times differed significantly (ANOVA, p less than 0.001) between the three populations within each temperature treatment. The study discovered that regional variation of developmental times within a blow fly species exists. This study demonstrates the importance of assembling local population-specific developmental tables when estimating larval age to determine PMI. Figures, tables, and references (Published Abstract)