Ultrastructural studies of some character of Diptera (Muscidae) of forensically importance

• Published in: Acta tropica 2015-02, Vol.142, p.96-102
• Main Authors: Carriço, César, Mendonça, Paloma Martins, Cortinhas, Lucas Barbosa, Mallet, Jacenir Reis dos Santos, Queiroz, Margareth Maria de Carvalho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Autopsy; Cadaver; Diptera; Entomology; Female; Flies; Forensic entomology; Insecta; Male; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Morellia; Morphology; Muscidae; Muscidae - ultrastructure; Scanning electron microscopy
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2014.11.005

The scape of Ophyra albuquerquei have two types of sensilla, fourteen small chaetic sensilla of similar length which were noticed arranged in a single row and trichoidea sensilla, were more numerous, densely and variable in length. •The use of SEM can provide anatomical information of adult flies with forensic importance.•The surface of the ocellar region of O. aenescens is not covered by sensilla.•The coeloconic sensilla is only found in the flagellum of O. albuquerquei.•The ultrastructure in adults flies have been the subject of many researchers.•Forensic entomology is a tool used by justice system which makes use of insects as criminal evidence. Insects are important in the decomposition of cadavers. In the field of forensic entomology, the taxonomic identification is essential to proceed to any procedure. The use of these insects in medico criminal investigation is the object of forensic entomological studies; the flies are generally attracted to cadavers and one of the most important contributions is to estimate the postmortem interval. The scanning electron microscopy, which allows rapid and accurate identification of character could be used to help identify different species of forensics flies, has been highlighted as it allows better visualization of the external morphology of immature and some adults. The aim of this study was to describe the katepisternals in females of Morellia humeralis and Biopyrellia bipuncta; the ommatidia of the compounds eyes of the male of B. bipuncta; the antennae of females of Ophyra aenescens and Ophyra albuquerquei and the ocellar triangle of the last two species and O. chalcogaster examined by scanning electron microscopy to help increase the anatomical database on flies for forensic importance. The katepisternals of M. humeralis and B. bipuncta were densely covered by different groups of sensilla. The surface of the ocellar region of O. aenescens was not covered by sensilla, but in O. albuquerquei and O. chalcogaster were densely covered by different types of sensilla. The coeloconic sensilla were only found in the flagellum of O. albuquerquei.