Effect of preservative solutions on preservation of Calliphora augur and Lucilia cuprina larvae (Diptera: Calliphoridae) with implications for post-mortem interval estimates

Day, Donnah M.; Wallman, James F.

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2008.04.006

Cited by 34 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Specimens were processed quickly and the ethanol in all vials was topped up when necessary in an attempt to minimise any detrimental effect of handling specimens during preservation [7]. The variation between persons recording this data was assessed prior to the experiment and was concluded to be negligible (results not shown).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Day and Wallman [7] provided the most recent study to investigate the effects of preservation on the change in blowfly larval length. One of their experiments, relevant to this study, tested the effects of preservation on the change in length in 80% ethanol of first, second, feeding third and post-feeding third instar larvae of Calliphora augur over a 10-day period.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

2012

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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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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

2012

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“…Standardised larval killing and preservation methods were employed throughout this study, which allowed direct comparisons of larval lengths for each species, temperature, and time point. However, the killing and preservation method used has important implications for PMI estimation, given that different protocols have been shown to affect the measurable larval length (Tantawi & Greenberg, 1993; Day & Wallman, 2008). For the purposes of PMI estimation, it is therefore important that larvae be killed and preserved by the same method as those from which developmental growth curves were generated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Careful dissection of the feeding substrate ensured all larvae were recovered from the mince. Larvae were killed by immersion in just‐boiled water, dried with paper towel, and preserved in 80% EtOH (Byrd & Castner, 2001; Day & Wallman, 2008). Larval lengths were measured to the nearest 0.1 μm using a Leica MZ7 5 dissecting microscope (Leica Microsystems, Wetzlar, Germany) and Motic Images Plus 2.0 ML software (Motic China Group Company, Xiamen, China).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal attributes of Chrysomya species

Nelson¹,

Dowton²,

Wallman³

2009

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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The correct identification of forensically important arthropods for post‐mortem interval estimation is crucial, as the rate of larval development can vary substantially between species. The identification of forensically important blowflies of the genus Chrysomya (Diptera: Calliphoridae) may be hampered by their close morphological similarities, especially as immatures. The aim of this study was to establish whether genetically closely related blowfly species would share similar developmental profiles. This could permit the application of developmental data to a number of closely related species, including those for which thermodevelopmental studies are lacking. If Australian Chrysomya were found to share developmental profiles, identification of the blowfly specimen to a level beyond genus may not be necessary, or at least it may not be necessary to distinguish morphologically similar sister species. The three Chrysomya species studied were collected from the same geographical location (Cairns, Australia), reducing the effects of acclimation and population‐level genetic variation. The experimental conditions in this study were virtually identical, which enabled direct comparisons to be made among the species. Blowfly larval lengths were obtained for 24‐hourly intervals at constant temperatures of 25, 30, and 35 °C. The thermal preferences of newly‐hatched feeding larvae were determined by their positions on a temperature gradient apparatus. This study established that all three species investigated differed significantly in their developmental profiles, despite the genetic closeness of the sister species Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) and Chrysomya saffranea (Bigot). Because of this, genetic distance was not considered to be a useful factor for predicting thermodevelopment profiles of closely related species within a genus, and highlights the necessity for correct species identification.

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“…In forensic practice, it includes the method of killing and preserving the larvae that could cause a significant underestimation in the age values of the larvae (Tantawi and Greenberg 1993;Adams and Hall 2003), and thus, resulting inaccuracies in PMI min calculations. Moreover, handling of preservatives could also alter the conditions of larval specimens, such as colour changes and degradation of specimens' quality (Day and Wallman 2008;Rosilawati et al 2014). This also includes storage periods in preservatives that affected larval body length and weight (Midgley and Villet 2009;Richards et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary assessment of cephalopharyngeal skeleton length and body length of Hemipyrellia ligurriens (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae as potential parameters to estimate minimum post mortem interval

Eliza

Zuha

2018

Egypt J Forensic Sci

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Entomological evidence can be utilized in forensic investigation to estimate the elapsed time after death or minimum post mortem interval estimation (PMI min ). This estimation is based on the age of dipterous specimens feeding on decomposing human tissues, which commonly refers to their larval body length. The objective of this research was to look for alternatives to larval body length which could be impaired by specimen handling and subsequently causing inaccuracy in PMI min estimation. In this research, development of forensic blow fly, Hemipyrellia ligurriens (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), based on larval cephalopharyngeal skeleton length, was described for the first time. Development of H. ligurriens was represented by body length and cephalopharyngeal skeleton consisting anterodorsal process to dorsal cornu (ADP-DC), anterodorsal process to ventral cornu (ADP-VC) and dorsal cornu to ventral cornu (DC-VC). The cephalopharyngeal skeletons proportionally developed with larval body development, but periods of plateau existed between 0 and 10 h and 24-30 h, suggesting ecdysis periods of larvae. Data measurements were more consistent in cephalopharyngeal skeleton length than in larval body length, and there were strong positive significant correlations, r > 0.85 (p < 0.05). These findings warranted further investigations to examine cephalopharyngeal skeleton as an alternative growth parameter to larval body length.

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Effect of preservative solutions on preservation of Calliphora augur and Lucilia cuprina larvae (Diptera: Calliphoridae) with implications for post-mortem interval estimates

Cited by 34 publications

References 41 publications

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

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

Thermal attributes of Chrysomya species

Preliminary assessment of cephalopharyngeal skeleton length and body length of Hemipyrellia ligurriens (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae as potential parameters to estimate minimum post mortem interval

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