Despite the fact that necrophagous flies are known to alter bloodstains and create unique artifacts, no research has occurred to date that has examined the characteristics of insect stains on textiles or fabrics. This study represents the first effort to characterize artifacts produced by adult Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy deposited on a range of shirt fabrics that varied in type, color, orientation, and yarn tension. In general, artifact morphology on any type of fabric was distorted in comparison to those observed on smooth and/or nonporous surfaces in previous studies. Consequently, distinction of artifact type could only be made broadly as digestive artifacts and transfer patterns, in which the latter was predominantly detected as tarsal tracks. None of the artifacts displayed satellite stains typical of human bloodstains found on textiles. Wicking was evident on all fabrics but was most pronounced with dri wick and jersey knit polyester in comparison to cotton knit. Digestive artifacts on any colored fabric, but especially with green and yellow shirt samples, resembled the reported color, size, and morphology of bloodstains generated in laboratory studies on a range of fabrics. Unique digestive artifacts were also detected as small, black, and nearly spherical. These defecatory stains did not appear to wet or wick into any of the fabrics. Digestive artifacts and tarsal tracks differentially interacted with front face stitch loops of clothing fabrics to yield distinct stain patterns. The implications of these observations in reference to bloodstain pattern analysis at crime scenes are discussed.

No abstract

Foraging by Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy often leads to a period of bubbling behavior, followed by either deposition of the regurgitate onto surfaces or reuptake of the bubble. Eventually, the partially or undigested food is passed in the excreta forming fecal or defecatory stains on surfaces in which deposition occurs. This study examined the digestive artifacts (i.e., regurgitate and defecatory stains) formed following consumption of human blood and semen by adult flies in an attempt to determine the length of time the meal was retained in the crop. The morphological appearance of either type of stain appeared consistent with the color of blood or semen for 10–20 d after feeding. When tested with ABA Hematrace immunochromatographic strip assays, blood was detectable in at least 33% of fly artifacts 25 d after the initial consumption of blood. Similarly, semen was detected in nearly 34% of digestive artifacts 30 d after feeding on human semen when using ABA p30 cards. Human body fluids were also detected in fly artifacts when using RSID lateral flow assays, but a much lower percentage of artifacts tested positive for blood (4.9%) and semen (4.6%) 25-d postfeeding in comparison to ABA strip assays. The difference between the types of lateral flow assays appeared to be due to extraction efficiencies of the buffers used for isolation of blood or semen from the fly artifacts. The implications of these observations in reference to seasonal adaptations and to bloodstain pattern analysis at crime scenes are discussed.