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.