A maggot mass is recovered from the torso of a body found outdoors. A probe thermometer inserted into the centre of the mass reads 34 degrees Celsius while the shade air temperature is 23 degrees Celsius. The correct interpretation of this difference is:
- A The thermometer is registering heat of fermentation from gut bacteria inside the larvae
- B Decomposition gases trapped beneath clothing have created a greenhouse effect around the body
- C Aggregated feeding larvae generate metabolic heat, so the mass microclimate drives faster development than ambient data alone would predict ✓
- D Dark larval cuticle has absorbed solar radiation, so the reading reflects insolation rather than biological activity
Correct answer: C. Aggregated feeding larvae generate metabolic heat, so the mass microclimate drives faster development than ambient data alone would predict
Explanation
Dense aggregations of feeding calliphorid larvae behave as a heat-generating unit; their collective metabolic activity raises the core of the mass several degrees to more than ten degrees above ambient. Development rate must therefore be calculated against the mass temperature, not air temperature. Solar absorption affects only exposed surfaces, whereas the elevation persists deep inside shaded masses.
Reference: Knight's Forensic Pathology, 4th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.