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Tag: forensic entomology

Three Blow Fly Species

How Blow Flies Compete (or Not) for Decomposition Duties

Forensic entomologists are familiar with a variety of blow fly species and the order in which they commonly arrive to a corpse. A new study illuminates the differences among three blow fly species and what drives the timing of their arrival and how they interact.

Calliphora vicina

Advanced Mass Spectrometry Method Could Give Forensic Entomologists Faster Fly IDs

Identifying the species of blow flies that colonize a corpse is a critical step in forensic entomology investigations, but it typically requires rearing collected fly larvae to adults first. However, a new "real time" method for conducting mass spectrometry could allow maggot specimens to be analyzed and identified in a matter of minutes—even up to six species at a time from the same sample.