Flesh flies are major primary consumers of carrion and are commonly found on human remains. Due to this
latter feeding habit, their development rates can be used to provide temporal information in forensic investigations.
This is usually done by referencing published flesh fly development datasets. Flesh flies are typically assumed
to be strictly viviparous and datasets reporting their development rates therefore start at the first larval
instar. However, an increasing number of studies has identified oviposition by flesh flies, including the forensically
relevant species Blaesoxipha plinthopyga Wiedemann. To assess the impact of egg-laying behavior on
casework, oviparity rates and time before larval hatching were assessed under controlled laboratory conditions
that reflect common casework conditions in Harris County, Texas. We demonstrated systematic deposition of
viable eggs but at a very variable rate between samples. Similarly, the duration between oviposition and larval
hatching was highly variable, with some eggs taking more than a day to hatch after deposition. These results
highlight the need to account for embryonic development in forensic investigations including B. plinthopyga
and advocates for the re-evaluation of the assumed strict viviparity of the Sarcophagidae. |
