Larval morphology  of the forensically important Muscidae of Europe


Andrzej  Grzywacz
Nicolaus Copernicus University, ToruÅ„,  Poland

The Muscidae is a large  dipteran family of some 4500 species and with a cosmopolitan distribution. Many  species exhibit various degrees of synanthropy, and some are important from a  medical and veterinary point of view, like those attracted to decaying organic  matter (e.g. decomposing bodies). Housefly species on decomposed bodies, both as  larvae and adults were found in carrion experiments and death investigations.  Application of methods  of Forensic Entomology requires proper species  identification of collected material.

The morphology of immature stages in  carrion visiting houseflies is unequally studied. In some species immature  stages are not described and in the others only some stages are known. On the  second hand characters used in some keys do not allow to easy species  identification. It results in serious problems with identification of immature  houseflies in forensic cases.

During an ongoing project morphological data  concerning the immature stages of all European species of Muscidae of forensic  importance will be revised. Results will be used to prepare an identification  key for the larvae of forensically important species. For this purpose results  obtained during this visit in Natural History Museum will be essential, as also  for the future research projects concerned on larval morphology of Muscidae and  Fanniidae.