Muscina - Forensic Importance

Forensic Importance

M. stabulans and M. levida belong to the ecological group of the filth fly. Muscina flies are attracted to decaying organic matter, and are commonly found on corpses, urine, and feces. Muscina flies are useful in determining post-mortem intervals. The presence of Muscina larvae in diapers and on genitalia can indicate a timeline for the period of neglect in infant or elderly death cases. From the second instar phase onwards, M. stabulans are predacious upon other larvae, and will eat other forensically important arthropods. Presence of the false stable fly larvae on buried bodies enables investigators to estimate the time of death. The antennae of the false stable fly can detect buried bodies. In these cases, the fly lays its eggs on top of the soil, and the hatching larvae will then burrow and invade the corpse. The false stable fly will also lay its eggs in blood, even in the absence of a body. The presence of eggs in blood allows entomologists to estimate the time of injury, which helps investigators and crime scene investigators. Muscina stabulans are found on corpses in autumn and winter. In one experiment, M. stabulans larvae were found on a rabbit corpse two days after death. M. stabulans are present in the fresh stage, but are predominantly found in the adipocere-like stage, characterized by the hydrolysis of the carcass’ fatty tissue. In this phase, the carcass loses its shape and is a mass of hair, fat, skin, and cartilage. The skin eventually becomes rigid, protecting the larvae on the carcass and the insects living underneath the carcass.