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29 March 2019 Estimating the Age of Forensically Useful Blowfly, Sarconesia chlorogaster (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Using Larval Length and Weight
Melise Cristine Lecheta, Mauricio Osvaldo Moura
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Abstract

Determining the age of an insect collected in a corpse is a key element to estimate the minimum postmortem interval in forensic entomology. Along with models of accumulated degree-hours, the estimation of the age based on larval weight and length is among the most common methods for this purpose. Sarconesia chlorogaster (Wiedemann, 1830), along with other Calliphoridae, is an important species in forensics in South America. However, studies analyzing the weight and length of S. chlorogaster larvae during development have not yet been done. In this work, we develop growth models based on the weight and length of larvae in different temperatures and provide formulas that can be used to estimate the age of the larvae based on the weight and length for each temperature. Larvae were reared at six temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35°C), and the measurements of larval length and weight were taken during all development until they stopped feeding. For the measurements, we attempted to use methodologies that can be easily replicated and do not require equipment that could be of difficult access. The results of this work come to complement and improve the use of S. chlorogaster in forensic applications.

© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Melise Cristine Lecheta and Mauricio Osvaldo Moura "Estimating the Age of Forensically Useful Blowfly, Sarconesia chlorogaster (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Using Larval Length and Weight," Journal of Medical Entomology 56(4), 915-920, (29 March 2019). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjz028
Received: 7 November 2018; Accepted: 19 February 2019; Published: 29 March 2019
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KEYWORDS
calliphoridae
forensic entomology
larval growth
postmortem interval
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