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Larval morphology, development and forensic importance of Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Diptera: Muscidae) in Europe: a rare species or just overlooked?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2012

Y. Velásquez ,
T. Ivorra ,
A. Grzywacz ,
A. Martínez-Sánchez ,
C. Magaña ,
A. García-Rojo  and
S. Rojo
Y. Velásquez*
Affiliation:
University Research Institute of Biodiversity CIBIO, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Alicante, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
T. Ivorra
Affiliation:
University Research Institute of Biodiversity CIBIO, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Alicante, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
A. Grzywacz
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
A. Martínez-Sánchez
Affiliation:
University Research Institute of Biodiversity CIBIO, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Alicante, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
C. Magaña
Affiliation:
Anthropology Laboratory, Anatomical Forensic Institute, E-28071 Madrid, Spain
A. García-Rojo
Affiliation:
Forensic Anthropology Laboratory, General Commissariat of the Scientific Police, E-28043 Madrid, Spain
S. Rojo
Affiliation:
University Research Institute of Biodiversity CIBIO, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Alicante, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
*
*Author for correspondence Fax: +34- 965903815 E-mail: yv@alu.ua.es, yelitza.velasquez@gmail.com
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Abstract

The muscid Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp, 1883) is a species with forensic importance in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This fly has recently been introduced into southern Europe and, until now, had not been recorded in forensic cases in this region. Here, morphology of all larval instars of S. nudiseta is documented in detail by using a combination of light and scanning electron microscopy. Literature data concerning larval morphology are revised and characters allowing identification from other forensically important Muscidae are listed. The life cycle of this species was studied at four constant temperatures: 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C. Total development varied between 46.50 ± 0.97 days at 15 °C and 15.39 ± 0.32 days at 30 °C. Moreover, we report this species breeding in human corpses, for the first time in Europe, in forensic cases from autopsies at the Anatomical Forensic Institute of Madrid and the Institute of Legal Medicine of Alicante, Spain.

Keywords

Synthesiomyia nudisetalarval morphologyscanning electron microscopypreimaginal developmentforensic entomologypostmortem intervalEurope
Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 103 , Issue 1 , February 2013 , pp. 98 - 110
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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