Larvae recovered from a corpse are identified as Sarcophaga species rather than Calliphora. What is the key implication of this finding for postmortem interval estimation?
- A Sarcophaga lays eggs that hatch after a fixed 24-hour incubation, simplifying calculation
- B Sarcophaga arrives only in the dry skeletal stage, indicating a long interval
- C Sarcophaga is larviparous, depositing first-instar larvae directly, so the egg incubation period must be excluded from the calculation ✓
- D Sarcophaga larvae develop entirely underwater, invalidating terrestrial models
Correct answer: C. Sarcophaga is larviparous, depositing first-instar larvae directly, so the egg incubation period must be excluded from the calculation
Explanation
Sarcophaga (flesh fly) is larviparous: the female deposits living first-instar larvae rather than eggs. When calculating the minimum postmortem interval, the egg laying and hatching period counted for oviparous blowflies such as Calliphora must be omitted, otherwise the interval would be overestimated. Sarcophaga is an early coloniser, not a late-stage arrival.
Reference: Knight's Forensic Pathology, 4th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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