Diptera.info

Posted by burgert323 on 03-07-2014 22:19

Hello everyone,
I am currently working on a insect succession study on deer carcasses in New York for my internship (for forensic implications). I have been searching for over a week for good methods for identifying maggots and have not come up with much. If you know of any literature that might be of help please let me know. I am very interested particularly if 1st instars can be identified but any instar identification will be welcome. Thank you!

Posted by John Carr on 03-07-2014 22:35

Manual of Nearctic Diptera includes a key to families of fly larvae. Identification to genus, or of first instar larvae, will be difficult. MND does not have larval keys for the major carrion feeding families.

Books on forensic entomology should offer more details on the common species in human bodies. I have not read any of them.

Posted by ValerioW on 03-07-2014 22:40

One title, quite nice, but there're many : 'The science of forensic entomology (D.rivers) - 2014" . But for some very specific ID, you need specific books .

Edited by ValerioW on 04-07-2014 13:36

Posted by ValerioW on 03-07-2014 22:45

For IDs a useful and forensic book is "Current concepts in forensic entomology(J.Amendt, M.L.Goff et al.) -2010"

Edited by ValerioW on 04-07-2014 13:36

Posted by atylotus on 04-07-2014 10:59

Some general books on larvae/pupae
Smith (1989): http://www.royens...inText.pdf and http://www.royens...sIndex.pdf

Apparantly Smith also wrote:
Smith, K.G.V. (1986). A manual of forensic entomology. London and Cornell. (I do not have this)

Ferrar (1987). A Guide to the Breeding Habits and Immature Stages of Diptera Cyclorrhapha. Entomonograph 8. Could find't it online and I do not have this, but I have seen it and made a few copies of the aquatic stages of some families.

and maybe Skidmore (1991) can help although it is on dung species
Skidmore, P. (1991). Insects of the British cow-dung community
online at http://fsj.field-...munity.pdf

Furthermore, I know of two Dutch researcher with knowledge on forensic entomology (Hans Huijbrechts and Jan krikken) ; , maybe they can help you further.
good luck

Edited by atylotus on 04-07-2014 11:00