Forensic Science International 195 (2010) e5–e7

Case report

First records of two species of Oriental scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) fromforensic cases

Kumara Thevan a, R. Henry L. Henry Disney b,*, Abu Hassan Ahmad a

a School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysiab Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom

A R T I C L E I N F O

Article history:

Received 5 August 2009

Received in revised form 2 October 2009

Accepted 18 October 2009

Available online 27 November 2009

Keywords:

Diptera

Phoridae

Forensic cases

A B S T R A C T

In Penang, Malaysia, the Oriental and Afrotropical Megaselia curtineura (Brues) and the Oriental and

Japanese Megaselia spiracularis Schmitz are reported from human corpses, these being the first reports of

these species in such forensic cases.

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Reviews of forensic entomology since that of Smith [20] havetended to be less than comprehensive when covering the range ofspecies of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) encountered in forensiccases (e.g., [2,15]), despite being reviewed by Disney [6]. Sincethen, other species have been recorded from human corpses andadditional data relevant to forensic cases have been published[1,3,8–10,12–14,17]. The records of species involved in forensiccases in warm climates are almost restricted to those involving thewidely distributed and fairly distinctive Megaselia scalaris (Loew),which have been recently reviewed [10]. Our currently partialknowledge of the taxonomy of species in the giant genus Megaselia

Rondani has meant neglect of other species involved in forensiccases in the tropics and subtropics. In this article, we report on fourforensic cases in which three species of scuttle flies were present inhuman corpses in Penang, Malaysia. Two of these species are thefirst records of their occurrences in human corpses.

1. Methods

All the entomological specimens were collected from decomposed corpses in the

Forensic Medicine Department, Penang Hospital, during autopsy. Larvae and pupae

were collected in each case and many reared to the adult stage in the laboratory at

29 � 2 8C and relative humidity 66–75%. Half the specimens were preserved while the

other half were reared. The pupae were kept in a container covered with paper towel

secured with a rubber band. The larvae were reared in a container measuring 11 cm

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +44 01223 336654; fax: +44 01223 336676.

E-mail addresses: rhld2@hermes.cam.ac.uk (R. Henry L. Henry Disney),

aahassan@usm.my (A.H. Ahmad).

0379-0738/$ – see front matter . Crown Copyright � 2009 Published by Elsevier Irelan

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2009.10.020

(height), 10 cm (width) and 10 cm (length). Pieces of beef of 25 g each were provided

and a wet paper towel was placed on top of these to prevent the meat from drying. The

top of the container was covered with a paper towel, double layered and secured with a

rubber band. The temperature and relative humidity of the laboratory were recorded

twice daily (RH 520-Humidity and temperature chart recorder, Extech Instruments

Corporation, Waltham, USA). The specimens of Phoridae were preserved in 70% alcohol

and sent to Henry Disney for identification. They were then mounted on slides in

Berlese Fluid [7].

2. Case reports

The four cases involving phorids reviewed below were part of aseries of 48 forensic case studies sampled between the period June2007 and June 2009.

2.1. Case A10

On 22 October 2008 at 7 p.m., a fully clothed corpse of a 78-year-old lady was found lying face down on its right side. It was in aterraced house that was fully closed and was in the mummifiedstage of decomposition. The victim’s small thin frame and thewarm weather had probably speeded up the processes of decay.The cause of death was unascertained due to decomposition. On 23October at 2 p.m. the insects present on the corpse were sampled.Many phorid pupae were present on the forearm and the adjacentclothes. Other insects present were the following flies (Diptera):puparia of Chysomya megacephala (Fabricius) and larvae of Piophila

casei (Linnaeus) (third instar) and Ophyra sp. (third instar); and abeetle (Coleoptera)—two adults and four larvae of Dermestes

maculatus (DeGeer).

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K. Thevan et al. / Forensic Science International 195 (2010) e5–e7e6

Adults emerged from the phorid pupae on 3 November 2008.The sample comprised four puparia and two adult females of M.

scalaris (Loew). There was no evidence of earlier infestations byPhoridae. The maximum postmortem interval (PMI) of 13 days wasindicated by when the victim was last seen alive.

2.2. Case A14

On 30 October 2008 at 11.15 a.m. a 78-year-old man was founddead in his bed on the 7th floor of an apartment block. The corpsewas in the active stage of decay. The pathologist estimated the PMIto be 3–5 days. There was no witness as to when the victim was lastseen alive. On the same date the body was discovered, the insectspresent on the corpse were sampled (3 p.m.). Larvae and freshpupae of phorids were present on parts of its abdomen. There wasno evidence of earlier infestations by Phoridae.

Adults emerged from the phorid pupae on 6 November 2008.The sample comprised two puparia and an adult female and maleof Megaselia curtineura (Brues) and one puparium and a female ofMegaselia spiracularis Schmitz.

2.3. Case A21

On 22 April 2009, at 9.40 p.m., the fully clothed corpse of anunknown woman was found on the 4th floor of an apartmentblock. The corpse was in the active decay stage. The cause of deathwas a stab wound to the right side of the neck. The corpse wassampled on 23 April at 9.15 a.m. Pupae of phorids were present onthe surface of its abdomen, beneath the clothing, and also on theright foot.

The Phoridae sampled comprised eight pupae, six puparia andtwo dead (and damaged) females of M. spiracularis Schmitz; onepupa of M. curtineura (Brues) and one pupa of M. scalaris (Loew).Other larvae sampled were Sarcophaga sp. (third instar), C.

megacephala (third instar), Chysomya rufifacies (third instar) andeggs of C. megacephala (from the right foot). These eggs were rearedand then identified.

2.4. Case A22

At 11.45 a.m. on 8 June 2009, the corpse of a 74-year-oldwoman was found dead on her bed in an apartment on the 7th floorof an apartment block. She had been alive on the previous day. At2.30 p.m. on the 8 June phorid larvae, 3–3.5 mm in length, werecollected from the right thigh of the corpse. The deceased was fullyclothed when found dead on the bed. The cause of death given wassevere coronary artery disease. In this case there was a strong smellof urine from the corpse, which was the probable cause ofattraction for the phorid flies. The autopsy otherwise indicated thevictim was in a good state with respect to hygiene, so that pre-mortem myiasis is unlikely to account for the presence of thephorids. The development of the latter was probably acceleratedby the room temperature being 29 � 2 8C.

Some phorid pupae were reared to the adult stage, emerging on17 June and 18 June. The sample comprised five larvae, two pupariaand an adult female and two males of M. spiracularis Schmitz.

3. Notes on the species

3.1. M. curtineura

This species belongs to a complex of sibling species. Itsrecognition was long impeded until a neotype was designated[5]. Both sexes are included in a recent key [11]. The larvae areknown to feed on a wide range of decaying molluscs andarthropods (see 6). It has been reported that at a temperature of

25 8C, the egg stage took 3 days, the larval stages 4–6 days and thepupa 6–12 days, with a total development time of 13–21 days [21].

The cases reported above are the first reports of this speciesbeing involved in forensic cases.

3.2. M. scalaris

This species has frequently been reported in forensic cases andalso in cases of myiasis. Indeed, in at least one case the presence ofthis species in a corpse proved to be due to a pre-mortem case ofmyiasis [4]. The published information on the duration ofdevelopment at different temperature regimes, along with asummary of the known natural history of this species has recentlybeen reviewed [10].

3.3. M. spiracularis

The third instar larva and puparium have been described [16].It has been reared from dead snails [19] and other decayingorganic matter. It has also been reported in cases of intestinalmyiasis [18].

The only previous report in a forensic case involved thedetermination of its origin in a packet of supposedly sterile feed forrodents used in product evaluation trials by a biotechnologycompany in France. The packet in question had been importedfrom Japan, where the species is abundant. This was the firstreport, and only report so far, of this species from Europe.

The three cases above are the first reports of this species fromforensic cases involving human corpses.

4. Conclusions

It is evident that more species of the giant genus Megaselia thanM. scalaris are encountered in forensic cases in warm climates thanhas been reported to date. Future research needs to ascertain thedurations of development of M. curtineura and M. spiracularis underdifferent temperature regimes to allow estimates of the earliestoviposition dates (EODs) for specimens recovered from forensiccases. The EOD and when a victim was last seen alive define theperiod that includes PMI.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Universiti Sains Malaysia for funding provided underthe research grant USM RU/1001/PBiology/815009. RHLD’s studiesof Phoridae are currently supported by a grant from the Balfour-Browne Trust Fund (University of Cambridge).

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