Insect specimens collected at crime scenes can be used to estimate the minimum post mortem
interval (PMI), season of death, presence of toxins or corpse transportation (1). For accuracy,
forensic entomologists, where possible, utilise evidence from initial corpse colonisers, which
include carrion-breeding species of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and flesh flies
(Diptera: Sarcophagidae) (2). Flesh flies can provide precise PMI estimations as they are
viviparous (lay live larvae), producing immatures that are ready to start feeding immediately
on the corpse and contribute to its decomposition. Despite the considerable forensic potential
of sarcophagids, their use to date in forensic investigations has been limited in comparison to
calliphorids, as accurate species-level morphological identification at any life stage is very
difficult (1-4).