Flies of the family Calliphoridae (blowflies) are of greatest forensic entomological importance because:

• A They are the last insects to arrive and colonise a corpse, marking late decomposition
• B Their egg-hatching time is independent of ambient temperature, providing absolute minimum PMI
• C They arrive within minutes of death (earliest colonisers) and larval development follows predictable temperature-dependent stages ✓
• D Calliphorid larvae exclusively feed on adipocere and are found only in late decomposition

Explanation

Calliphoridae (blowflies, especially Calliphora vicina, Lucilia sericata) are the first insects to colonise a fresh corpse, arriving within minutes to hours of death by detecting volatile decomposition chemicals. Their complete life cycle (egg → larva L1/L2/L3 → pupa → adult) follows predictable accumulated degree-hour (ADH) thresholds, allowing forensic entomologists to calculate the minimum post-mortem interval (minPMI) by subtracting the oldest developmental stage's accumulated degree hours from current temperature records. Different species succeed each other in a predictable wave useful for estimating longer intervals.

Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Narayan Reddy), 34th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.