Using Blowflies to Solve Crimes

These tiny flies have their own way of dealing with death. And we can leverage this to perform forensic analysis.

Blowflies, also known as carrion flies, are commonly used in forensic sciences to help investigators determine the time of death of a person or animal. This is because blowflies are often the first insects to arrive at a deceased body and lay their eggs, and the development of their larvae can be used to estimate the time since death.

When a blowfly lays its eggs on a deceased body, the eggs hatch into larvae, commonly known as maggots. These maggots will feed on the body and undergo several stages of development, known as instars. The rate at which the maggots develop and pass through these instars is influenced by several factors, including the temperature, humidity, and availability of food.

By carefully observing and collecting samples of the blowfly larvae at a crime scene, forensic entomologists can use this information to estimate the time of death. This can be a valuable tool for investigators, as it can help narrow down the time frame in which the crime took place.

In addition to their use in estimating time of death, blowflies can also provide other valuable information to investigators. For example, the presence of blowfly larvae on a body can indicate that the person or animal was killed at the location where the larvae were found, rather than being moved there after death. Additionally, the presence of blowflies can help investigators determine the location of a hidden or concealed body.

Another potential area of research could be the development of new techniques for using blowflies to help locate hidden or concealed bodies. This could be particularly useful in cases where the location of a deceased person or animal is unknown, but the presence of blowflies can provide clues that can help investigators find the body. Genetically modifying blowflies for forensic applications could allow for the development of subspecies that are better able to withstand specific environmental conditions. For example, blowflies in certain regions may need to be able to tolerate colder temperatures in order to be effective at estimating time of death during the winter months. By genetically modifying blowflies to be more tolerant of cold temperatures, it may be possible to create subspecies that are better suited for use in forensic investigations in these regions.

One major challenge that still needs to be solved in the use of blowflies for forensics is the need for better understanding of the factors that influence the development of blowfly larvae. This is because the rate of development of blowfly larvae is a key factor in estimating time of death, but this rate can be influenced by many different variables, such as temperature, humidity, and the availability of food. By better understanding these factors, researchers may be able to develop more accurate methods for using blowflies to estimate time of death.

The future of using blowflies for forensics is likely to involve continued research and development of new techniques and technologies that can improve upon existing methods and provide valuable information to investigators.