Forensic implications of the seasonal changes in the rate ofdevelopment of the blowfly, Chrysomya megacephala(Fabricius) (Diptera, Calliphoridae)

Abstract

Studies on the development rate of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) suggested thatthe blowfly as a significant candidate for forensic investigations. Under natural ambient conditionsdevelopment rate of C. megacephala in monsoon, winter and summer seasons indicated significantdifferences among seasons. The larvae began pupation at 92nd h in summer, 157th h in the monsoon seasonand 191st h in winter. Rapid larval growth in terms of length was observed in summer. During summer, thelength of the larvae increased to a maximum of 13.9 mm at 54th h. Time taken for the emergence of the adultfly was 164, 249 and 311h in summer, monsoon and winter seasons respectively. Life table studies wereconducted to assess the percentage survival and mortality by recording the survival rate of differentdevelopment stages. Molecular diagnosis of species was done using COI gene. The analysis includedmolecular sequences of other samples of the same species from different regions of India. The neighbor-joining method allowed us to identify the species at molecular level with precision and accuracy.© 2022 Association for Advancement of Entomology