The Life Cycle Of The Blowfly

Egg >>> Larvae >>> Pupae >>> Blowfly

The most common fly to be found in forensic homicide investigations is the blowfly.

Blowflies can often appear on a body around one hour after death, in order to lay their eggs in a moist area.

Soon afterwards, the eggs will then hatch into larvae - usually reaching a length of around half an inch.

Some 6-10 days later the larvae, having fed, grown and repeatedly molted, will turn into pupaes.

Approximately 12 days later adult blowflies emerges, and thus the cycle continues.

Entomology

A forensic scientist can therefore rely upon the lifecycle of the blowfly, to a degree, to provide valuable information about a crime scene.

The drawback, however, is that data can be rendered inaccurate due to the interference and effects of climate conditions, weather, temperature, location, etc.

Most of the time, however, entomology, in conjunction with autopsy reports and crime scene temperatures, can yield a great deal of useful information.