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

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Abstract

Forensic 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 fly Chrysomya 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 extracted 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 of C. megacephala was shorter at 27 °C. Finally, the meta-analysis suggested differences between the developmental times of different populations, based on temperature and geographic location. The results of this study provide fundamental developmental data to use C. megacephala in PMI estimations. Finally, we suggest that, when making expert reports, information from local populations should be used to determine a more accurate and reliable PMI.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública of the Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (CRISP/INSP) of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico, for providing their facilities for the development of this research. The main author, Ana Julia Pereira from Argentina, would like to thank the Mexican government for its support through the program “Becas de Excelencia para Extranjeros” to carry out a short research stay in Mexico, where this research was developed under the direction of Dr. Nuñez.

Funding

This study was partially funded by the “Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores” from Mexico in the program “Becas de Excelencia para Extranjeros” call 2018.

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  1. Centro de Investigaciones en Toxicología Ambiental y Agrobiotecnología del Comahue, CITAAC (CONICET, UNCo), Neuquén, Argentina

    Ana Julia Pereira

  2. Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Forense, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Néstor Daniel Centeno

  3. División Entomología, Sociedad Multidisciplinaria en Ciencias Agronómicas y Aplicadas AC, Morelia, México

    Carolina Nuñez-Vázquez

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Pereira, A.J., Centeno, N.D. & Nuñez-Vázquez, C. Effects of population variations and temperature on Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae) development: implications for estimating the postmortem interval. Int J Legal Med 138, 165–175 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-023-03020-2

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