Cuticular Hydrocarbons Profiling of 1st Instar Larvae for Species Identification of Forensically Important Phorid Flies

Abstract

Precise identification of immature fly larvae is vital in forensic entomology for calculating the minimum post-mortem interval (PMImin). This study focuses on evaluating the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of 1st instar larvae from two forensically significant fly species, Spiniphora genitalis and Megaselia scalaris. CHC profiling offers a quick, economically viable option to traditional morphological and DNA-based approaches. However, the reliability of CHC analysis in discriminating closely related species throughout early developmental stages remains understudied.