Tantawi T I, Greenberg B
Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt.
J Forensic Sci. 1993 May;38(3):702-7.
Length of the oldest maggots recovered from a body often provide an accurate estimate of the time since death. The length of maggots of Protophormia terraenovae (Robineau-Desvoidy) of known age, at peak of feeding, was measured after 5 days immersion in one of 15 killing and preservative solutions, some of which are routinely used at autopsy and in forensic entomology; controls were killed in boiling water. There was shrinkage in all 15 solutions which translated into an underage error of 9.7 h in 70% ethanol, 11 h in San Veino and 16.8 h in formalin. Larvae of Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoidy) underwent even greater shrinkage, which resulted in an underage error of 19.2 h in 70% ethanol, 26.4 h in formalin and 28.8 h in San Veino. Young third instar larvae underwent more shrinkage than older ones, with underage errors (in hours) as follows: P. terraenovae-70% ethanol 24 and San Veino, 24; C. vicina-70% ethanol, 7.2 and San Veino, 14.4. Maggots killed in boiling water and then placed in preservative solutions did not shrink. Length of the crop, which may be useful in age estimates of postfeeding larvae, was not altered significantly for forensic purposes in these solutions. The highly significant alterations in maggot length underscore a need for standardization in the treatment of maggots collected at the crime scene and at autopsy if their length is to be interpreted in a valid and consistent way. Recommendations are made for treatment of maggots wherever they are collected.
从尸体上找到的最老蛆虫的长度通常能准确估计死亡时间。将已知年龄的新陆原伏蝇（Robineau-Desvoidy）蛆虫在进食高峰期，浸入15种杀蛆防腐溶液中的一种5天后测量其长度，其中一些溶液常用于尸检和法医昆虫学；对照组蛆虫用沸水烫死。所有15种溶液中的蛆虫都有收缩现象，在70%乙醇中导致9.7小时的年龄低估误差，在San Veino溶液中为11小时，在福尔马林中为16.8小时。红头丽蝇（Robineau-Desvoidy）的幼虫收缩更为明显，在70%乙醇中导致19.2小时的年龄低估误差，在福尔马林中为26.4小时，在San Veino溶液中为28.8小时。年轻的三龄幼虫比年长的幼虫收缩更明显，年龄低估误差（小时数）如下：新陆原伏蝇——70%乙醇中24小时，San Veino溶液中24小时；红头丽蝇——70%乙醇中7.2小时，San Veino溶液中14.4小时。用沸水烫死后再放入防腐溶液中的蛆虫没有收缩。嗉囊长度可能有助于估计进食后幼虫的年龄，在这些溶液中，从法医角度来看其长度没有显著改变。蛆虫长度的显著变化凸显了如果要以有效且一致的方式解读在犯罪现场和尸检时收集的蛆虫长度，就需要对其处理进行标准化。针对无论在何处收集的蛆虫处理给出了建议。
