| dc.description.abstract | The larvae of necrophagous fly species are used as forensic tools for the determination of the minimum
postmortem
interval (PMI). However, any ingested drugs in corpses may affect larval development, thus
leading
to incorrect estimates of the period of infestation. This study investigated the effects of
methamphetamine
and its metabolite, p-hydroxymethamphetamine, on the forensically important
Australian
blowfly Calliphora stygia. It was found that the presence of the drugs significantly accelerated
larval
growth and increased the size of all life stages. Furthermore, drug-exposed samples remained as
pupae
for up to 78 h longer than controls. These findings suggest that estimates of the minimum PMI of
methamphetamine-dosed
corpses could be incorrect if the altered growth of C. stygia is not considered.
Different
temperatures, drug concentrations and substrate types are also likely to affect the development
of
this blowfly. Pending further research, the application of C. stygia to the entomological analysis of
methamphetamine-related
fatalities should be appropriately qualified. | en_US |
