Which insect, known as the cheese skipper, characteristically colonises a human corpse during the later stages of decay when the tissues have become protein-rich and partially liquefied?

• A Piophila casei ✓
• B Musca domestica
• C Apis mellifera
• D Blattella germanica

Explanation

Piophila casei, the cheese skipper, belongs to the later waves of succession, arriving when the corpse enters advanced decay with liquefying proteinaceous material, mirroring its habit of infesting cured meats and cheese. Musca domestica is a common housefly of earlier decay, while Apis mellifera and Blattella germanica are not carrion succession insects.

Reference: Parikh's Textbook of Medical Jurisprudence, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 7th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.