FlyEvidence

Correct identification is important for all legal, health, ecological, conservation and environmental impact assessment work.  FlyEvidence offers a service for Insect identification, centred on, but not exclusive to flies (Diptera).

In the Forensic context, a variety of insects can be used in medico-legal casework, for the accurate assessment of post mortem interval (PMI), locality and destination evaluation and toxicology.  The most critical part of this work is the correct identification of the insects involved, requiring microscopic examination of the immature and adult stages of a selection of insects attracted to source materials. Of primary importance are blowflies, as these are often the first biological indicators at the scene of violent crime.  Clearly, unless these are correctly identified at the beginning of an investigation, correct PMI or legal assessment cannot be achieved.

Correct identification is equally important for ecological, conservation and environmental impact assessment work, whether it be for a confidential report or for scientific publication. FlyEvidence makes every effort to provide accurate identifications when ever possible and will always indicate uncertainty when it arises. Specimens are checked against good vouchers and dissections of genitalia are made where this provided clarification.