DNA-based identification of forensically important Chrysomyinae (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Abstract

Identifying an insect specimen is an important first step in a forensic-entomological analysis. However, diagnostic morphological criteria are lacking for many species and life stages. We demonstrate a method for using mitochondrial DNA sequence data and phylogenetic analysis to identify any specimen of the blow fly subfamily Chrysomyinae likely to be collected from a human corpse within Canada or the USA. The reliability of the method was illustrated by analyzing specimens designed to mimic the information likely to be obtained from highly degraded specimens as well as specimens collected from widely separated geographic locations. Our sequence database may be suitable for another country provided the investigator knows the local fly fauna well enough to narrow the choice of chrysomyine species to those used in this study.