Distinctive hydrocarbons of the black dump fly, Hydrotaea aenescens (Diptera: Muscidae)

New approach to application of mid-infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy in forensic analysis: Study with the necrophagous blow fly Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Insects can provide clues in a variety of ways to assist in criminal investigations. The FTIR-PAS technique has been successfully used to assess the cuticular chemical profiles of insect samples from different groups and for several goals. However, until now, it has never been used to evaluate samples of forensic interest, despite providing faster results, compared to the methods currently used. In this study, mid-infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy was employed to assess the cuticular chemical profiles of different stages of development of the blow fly Chrysomya megacephala sampled from two distinct populations. The results showed that this technique enabled detection of significant differences between the main vibrational modes of the chemical bonds present in the cuticles of the two populations and the different stages of development of the fly. The method enables identification of the age of individuals collected at the crime scene, as well as the distinction of different populations. Therefore, this methodology could assist in forensic investigations, in both estimating the Postmortem Interval and determining the location where the crime occurred, or whether the body had suffered some type of translocation. The technique provides high reproducibility and fast analysis, so its application for analysis of C. megacephala is a viable option in forensic crime investigations.

Chemotaxonomic Profile and Intraspecific Variation in the Blow Fly of Forensic Interest Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Necrophagous insects such as blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are considered crucial in forensic entomology. Identification at species level and determination of larval stage are the basis for estimation of postmortem interval (PMI). Insect evidence can also be used in the determination of crime scenes, since body displacement is common. The aim of this study was to determine the chemotaxonomic profile and intraspecific variability of the forensically important blow fly Chrysomya megacephala (F. 1794). Adults were collected in the municipalities of Dourados-MS (Brazil) and Rio Claro-SP (Brazil), and then transferred to the laboratory for oviposition and development of the immature stages. Chemical analysis of cuticular compounds was performed by gas chromatography. Cuticular chemical profiles varied significantly between the two populations, as well as between developmental stages, supporting the use of these compounds as a complementary tool to help identify the species and its stages, along with geographical variability. This could greatly accelerate forensic investigations, eliminating the need to allow the fly larvae to develop until adult stage in order to confirm the species identity and sample origin.

Chemical Characterization of the Volatiles of Leaves and Flowers from Cultivated Malva sylvestris var. mauritiana and their Antimicrobial Activity Against the Aetiological Agents of the European and American Foulbrood of Honeybees (Apis mellifera)

The composition of the volatile fraction of Malva sylvestris var. mauritiana (L.) Boiss. (Malvaceae) was investigated. This plant species was cultivated in the southeastern Alps as an ingredient for herbal teas and infusions. Flowers and leaves were collected at the end of the summer season and separately steam-distilled to obtain two volatile oils, the yields of which were 0.019% for leaves and 0.012% for flowers. After GC-FID and GC-MS analyses, the two oils revealed differences in the nature and especially in the proportion of their components, which were aldehydes, alcohols, phenolics, esters, hydrocarbons and acids. Eugenol was the single most abundant compound in the leaves, totalling 46.7% of the total oil, followed by phytol with 34.4%. Flowers showed a predominance of hydrocarbons, among which the anteiso branched-chain saturated hydrocarbon, 3-methyl tricosane, was the most abundant compound, accounting for 14.9% of the total volatiles. Eugenol ranked second with 10.3%, followed by the two linear-chain saturated hydrocarbons pentacosane and tricosane forming 8.2 and 7.7% of the total oil, respectively. The occurrence and the relative abundance of compounds from various chemical classes such as phenolics, hydrocarbons and aromatic aldehydes and alcohols are discussed, together with some of their ecological implications. The obtained volatile oils were than tested against two major honeybee ( Apis mellifera) pathogens, namely Paenibacillus larvae and Melissococcus plutonius, the causative agents of the American and the European foulbrood, respectively.

Muscavirus (MdSGHV) disease dynamics in house fly populations--how is this virus transmitted and has it potential as a biological control agent?

The newly classified family Hytrosaviridae comprises several double-stranded DNA viruses that have been isolated from various dipteran species. These viruses cause characteristic salivary gland hypertrophy and suppress gonad development in their hosts. One member, Muscavirus or MdSGHV, exclusively infects adult house flies (Musca domestica) and, owing to its massive reproduction in and release from the salivary glands, is believed to be transmitted orally among feeding flies. However, results from recent experiments suggest that additional transmission routes likely are involved in the maintenance of MdSGHV in field populations of its host. Firstly, several hours before newly emerged feral flies begin feeding activities, the fully formed peritrophic matrix (PM) constitutes an effective barrier against oral infection. Secondly, flies are highly susceptible to topical virus treatments and intrahemocoelic injections. Thirdly, disease transmission is higher when flies are maintained in groups with infected conspecifics than when flies have access to virus-contaminated food. We hypothesize that interactions between flies may lead to cuticular damage, thereby providing an avenue to viral particles for direct access to the hemocoel. Based on our current knowledge, two options seem plausible for developing Muscavirus as a sterilizing agent to control house fly populations: The virus may either be formulated with PM-disrupting materials to facilitate oral infection from a feeding bait system, or amended with abrasive materials to enhance infection through a damaged cuticle after topical aerosol applications.

Characterization of age and cuticular hydrocarbon variation in mating pairs of house fly, Musca domestica, collected in the field

House flies, Musca domestica L., were collected in copula over two summers from six dairies located in three climatically distinct regions in the U.S.A. southern California, Minnesota and Georgia. Ages of males and females from a total of 511 mating pairs were estimated using pterin analysis. Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles and gonotrophic ages of females also were evaluated. Mean age of mating males ranged from 54 to 102 degree-days (DD) (4-10 days based on field air temperatures), depending on the farm. Very young males (< 10-20 DD) and old males (> 200 DD) were rare in mating pairs. Mean female age at mating ranged from 20 to 46 DD (2.5-4 days). All mating females had eggs in the early stages of vitellogenesis and 99.2% were nulliparous. However, some older and parous females were collected, demonstrating that re-mating can occur in the field. Head width measurements of mating pairs suggested that assortative mating by size did not occur. The cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of females were determined, with emphasis on (Z)-9-tricosene (muscalure). Overall, only 55% of mating females had detectable amounts (> 4 etag per fly) of (Z)-9-tricosene. Of the females that had detectable (Z)-9-tricosene, variation in amount per female was high in all fly populations, and thus was not statistically related to the size or age of the mating female. The proportion of mating females with detectable levels of (Z)-9-tricosene varied by geographic region. Seventy-one, 63, and 27% of females from southern California, Minnesota and Georgia had detectable amounts of (Z)-9-tricosene. Principal components analysis of the eight most abundant hydrocarbons from mating females, by state, revealed state-level distinctiveness of hydrocarbons in house fly populations, which may reflect genetic variation associated with environmental stresses in those geographical zones.