Temperature-dependent morphological plasticity in Calliphora vicina: A approach for estimating growth temperature in forensic investigationse

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of temperature on the life history traits and morphology of the blowfly species Calliphora vicina, drawing on field collections and controlled laboratory conditions. Year-round collection of C. vicina reflected a seasonal trend in the population, with emergence in March, a peak in April, and subsequent decline, followed by a resurgence in September. The sex ratio was skewed towards females, especially during May and June. Development from egg to adult was significantly influenced by rearing temperature, with higher temperatures leading to a shortened developmental duration. Notably, body length and wing size of the adults displayed significant variations across different temperatures, as well as between genders. A strong positive correlation between body length and wing size was evident, suggesting intertwined physiological or genetic mechanisms. Canonical Variate Analysis revealed distinct differences in wing shape among C. vicina reared at different temperatures and wild populations, potentially indicating wing morphology as a temperature-associated marker. Cluster Analysis further showed unique clustering patterns among the wild population and groups reared at 18 °C and 22 °C, with slight gender-based discrepancies. This research results have insightful in the field of forensic entomology, which is estimating the minimum postmortem interval for solving the forensic investigations.