Philippine Journal of Science
147 (1): 17-25, March 2018
ISSN 0031 – 7683
Date Received: 31 Aug 2016

Forensic entomology in the Philippines: Establishing
Baseline Data on the Forensically Important Blow
Fly Species Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794)

Ronniel D.C. Pedales1,2,* and Ian Kendrich C. Fontanilla2

1Natural Sciences Research Institute, College of Science
University of the Philippines Diliman, Diliman, Quezon City 1101
2DNA Barcoding Laboratory, Institute of Biology, College of Science
University of the Philippines Diliman, Diliman, Quezon City 1101

 

ABSTRACT

The Philippines is yet to adapt and implement guidelines and protocols in forensic entomology, particularly establishing local databases. Considering the efforts made by neighboring Southeast Asian countries in the field, the nation has been left behind in insect evidence-based investigations. Of utmost importance to forensic entomology are blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae), which are primary colonizers of carrion. Through knowledge of their distribution, identity, and growth rates, investigators are able to provide a post-mortem interval that is most accurate after the onset of putrefaction. The Philippines has a total of 83 blow fly species recorded, including the cosmopolitan species Chrysomya megacephala. This paper aims to establish a baseline reference in Philippine forensic entomology by mapping the distribution, providing DNA barcodes, and estimating larval growth rates from oviposition to pupariation of C. megacephala. Distribution data were mapped in QGIS using localities from fieldwork data in this study and those in the Key to the Philippine Calliphoridae by Kurahashi and Magpayo. DNA barcodes of specimens from Isabela, Quezon City, and Marinduque in the Philippines matched with C. megacephala from the database in GenBank and revealed a possible SNP in the fragment amplified. C. megacephala was reared from oviposition in a simple incubation set-up to estimate the duration of development to pupariation, which ranged 100-113 hours. This is the first study on the distribution, molecular identification, and development of C. megacephala in the Philippines. Further work is needed to distinguish among populations of the species and to construct more precise growth curves.