During examination of a corpse, dark barrel-shaped structures are found in the soil beneath the remains. These are confirmed as the hardened cuticle of the final larval instar within which metamorphosis occurs. What is this structure called?
- A Exuvium of the first instar
- B Ootheca
- C Puparium ✓
- D Chrysalis of a lepidopteran
Correct answer: C. Puparium
Explanation
In cyclorrhaphous flies such as Calliphora, the third-instar larval skin tans and hardens to form the puparium, a barrel-shaped shell inside which the pupa develops. The ootheca is an egg case of cockroaches, exuviae are shed larval skins of earlier instars, and lepidopteran chrysalides are irrelevant to carrion insects. Age of the puparium helps refine interval estimates.
Reference: Knight's Forensic Pathology, 4th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.