Effects of population variations and temperature on Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae) development: implications for estimating the postmortem interval

AbstractForensic entomology requires knowledge of the developmental rates of the species that colonize a body after death to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI). These developmental rates may vary depending not only on the species but also on the geographic location due to population differences. Therefore, the objectives of this work were to determine the developmental duration of the forensically important flyChrysomya megacephala under constant controlled and field condition temperatures and to compare these results, through a meta-analysis, with data reported by other authors on populations from different localities. For this,C. megacephala colonies were established in the laboratory, and the duration of the life cycle was studied at two controlled temperatures (25  °C and 27 °C) and field conditions (27.5 ± 3.2 °C). Analysis of variance was performed to determine differences in developmental time and larval length between constant laboratory temperatures and field conditions. A generalized linear model was performed with predictor variables extract ed from the literature (diet, relative humidity, latitude, longitude) to evaluate the effect of population variation on developmental times. The results showed significant differences in developmental times between 25 and 27 °C. As expected, the complete life cycle ofC. megacephala was shorter at 27  °C. Finally, the meta-analysis suggested differences between the developmental times of different populations,...
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - Category: Medical Law Source Type: research