Establishment of a multiplex PCR-CE assay for the simultaneous and rapid analysis of age markers for Calliphora vicina pupae.

Insects, especially blow flies, are forensically relevant to determine the minimal postmortem interval (PMImin), based on the fact that they are usually the first colonisers of a body. By estimating the age of immature blow flies, interferences can be made about the time since death. Whilst morphological parameters are valuable for age estimation of blow fly larvae, gene expression profiling is more applicable for blow fly pupae. Here, the age-dependent changes in the gene expression levels during the development are analysed. 28 temperature-independent markers have already been described for the age estimation of pupae of the forensically important blow fly Calliphora vicina and are analysed by RT-qPCR. To allow simultaneous analysis of these age markers, a multiplex assay was developed in the present study. After reverse transcription, the markers are analysed simultaneously in an endpoint PCR and subsequently separated by capillary electrophoresis (CE). This method is highly attractive due to its quick and easy procedure and interpretation. The present age prediction tool was adapted and validated. The multiplex PCR assay reproduced the same expression profiles as the RT-qPCR assay based on the same markers. The statistical evaluation shows that the new assay has a lower precision but a better trueness for age determination compared to the RT-qPCR assay. Since the new assay is also qualified to estimate the age of C. vicina pupae and is practical, cost-effective and, even more importantly, time-saving, it is attractive for use in forensic casework.

Catch me if you can-emission patterns of human bodies in relation to postmortem changes.

The present study examines for the first time the emission patterns and olfactory signatures of 9 complete human corpses of different stages of decomposition. Air sampling was performed inside the body bags with solid sorbents and analysed by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after thermal desorption (TD-GC-MS). Furthermore, odour-related substances were detected by gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O). Sulfurous compounds (mainly dimethyl di- and trisulfide) were identified as most important to the odour perception. Around 350 individual organic substances were detected by TD-GC-MS, notably sulfurous and nitrogenous substances as well as branched alkanes, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters and ethers. A range of terpenes was detected for the first time in a characteristic emission pattern over all decomposition stages. Concentrations of the substances varied greatly, and no correlation between the emission patterns, the stage of decomposition and the cause of death could be found. While previous studies often analysed pig cadavers or only parts of human tissue, the present study shows the importance of analysing complete human corpses over a range of decomposition stages. Moreover, it is shown that using body bags as a kind of "emission test chamber" is a very promising approach, also because it is a realistic application considering the usual transport and store of a body before autopsy.

A methodological approach to age estimation of the intra-puparial period of the forensically relevant blow fly Calliphora vicina via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Estimating the age of immature blow flies is of great importance for forensic entomology. However, no gold-standard technique for an accurate determination of the intra-puparial age has yet been established. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a method to (bio-)chemically characterise material based on the absorbance of electromagnetic energy by functional groups of molecules. In recent years, it also has become a powerful tool in forensic and life sciences, as it is a fast and cost-effective way to characterise all kinds of material and biological traces. This study is the first to collect developmental reference data on the changes in absorption spectra during the intra-puparial period of the forensically important blow fly Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Calliphora vicina was reared at constant 20°C and 25°C and specimens were killed every other day throughout their intra-puparial development. In order to investigate which part yields the highest detectable differences in absorption spectra throughout the intra-puparial development, each specimen was divided into two different subsamples: the pupal body and the former cuticle of the third instar, that is, the puparium. Absorption spectra were collected with a FTIR spectrometer coupled to an attenuated total reflection (ATR) unit. Classification accuracies of different wavenumber regions with two machine learning models, i.e., random forests (RF) and support vector machines (SVMs), were tested. The best age predictions for both temperature settings and machine learning models were obtained by using the full spectral range from 3700 to 600 cm-1. While SVMs resulted in better accuracies for C. vicina reared at 20°C, RFs performed almost as good as SVMs for data obtained from 25°C. In terms of sample type, the pupal body gave smoother spectra and usually better classification accuracies than the puparia. This study shows that FTIR spectroscopy is a promising technique in forensic entomology to support the estimation of the minimum post-mortem interval (PMImin), by estimating the age of a given insect specimen.

Multimethod combination for age estimation of Sarcophaga peregrina (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) with implications for estimation of the postmortem interval.

Sarcophaga peregrina (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) is a forensically important flesh fly with potential value for estimating the minimum postmortem interval (PMImin). Here, the developmental patterns of S. peregrina were investigated at 5 constant temperatures (15-35 °C). Morphological changes at different developmental stages of the pupa were observed at 4 constant temperatures (15-30 °C) by removing the puparium and staining the pupa with hematoxylin and eosin. Furthermore, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed at 25 °C in the intrapuparial period to estimate the age of S. peregrina during the intrapuparial stage. S. peregrina completed development from larviposition to adult eclosion at 15 °C, 20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C; the developmental durations were 1090.3 ± 30.6 h, 566.6 ± 21.9 h, 404.6 ± 13.01 h, and 280.3 ± 4.5 h, respectively, while the development could not be completed at 35 °C. The intrapuparial period of S. peregrina was divided into 12 sub-stages on the basis of the overall external morphological changes; 6 sub-stages on the basis of individual morphological structures such as the compound eyes, antennae, thorax, legs, wings, and abdomen; and 10 sub-stages on the basis of internal morphological changes detected using histological analysis. The period of each sub-stage or structure that appeared was determined. Moreover, we found that 6 genes (NDUFS2, CPAMD8, NDUFV2, Hsp27, Hsp23, and TPP) with differential expression can be used for the precise age estimation of S. peregrina during the intrapuparial period. This study provided basic developmental data for the use of S. peregrina in PMImin estimation, and we successfully estimated PMImin in a real forensic case by using a multimethod combination.

Cuticular hydrocarbons for the identification and geographic assignment of empty puparia of forensically important flies.

Research in social insects has shown that hydrocarbons on their cuticle are species-specific. This has also been proven for Diptera and is a promising tool for identifying important fly taxa in Forensic Entomology. Sometimes the empty puparia, in which the metamorphosis to the adult fly has taken place, can be the most useful entomological evidence at the crime scene. However, so far, they are used with little profit in criminal investigations due to the difficulties of reliably discriminate among different species. We analysed the CHC chemical profiles of empty puparia from seven forensically important blow flies Calliphora vicina, Chrysomya albiceps, Lucilia caesar, Lucilia sericata, Lucilia silvarum, Protophormia terraenovae, Phormia regina and the flesh fly Sarcophaga caerulescens. The aim was to use their profiles for identification but also investigate geographical differences by comparing profiles of the same species (here: C. vicina and L. sericata) from different regions. The cuticular hydrocarbons were extracted with hexane and analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our results reveal distinguishing differences within the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles allowing for identification of all analysed species. There were also differences shown in the profiles of C. vicina from Germany, Spain, Norway and England, indicating that geographical locations can be determined from this chemical analysis. Differences in L. sericata, sampled from England and two locations in Germany, were less pronounced, but there was even some indication that it may be possible to distinguish populations within Germany that are about 70 km apart from one another.

A standard protocol for the analysis of postmortem muscle protein degradation: process optimization and considerations for the application in forensic PMI estimation.

The analysis of postmortem protein degradation has become of large interest for the estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI). Although several techniques have been published in recent years, protein degradation-based techniques still largely did not exceed basic research stages. Reasons include impractical and complex sampling procedures, as well as highly variable protocols in the literature, making it difficult to compare results. Following a three-step procedure, this study aimed to establish an easily replicable standardized procedure for sampling and processing, and further investigated the reliability and limitations for routine application. Initially, sampling and processing were optimized using a rat animal model. In a second step, the possible influences of sample handling and storage on postmortem protein degradation dynamics were assessed on a specifically developed human extracorporeal degradation model. Finally, the practical application was simulated by the collection of tissue in three European forensic institutes and an international transfer to our forensic laboratory, where the samples were processed and analyzed according to the established protocol.

It is all about the insects: a retrospective on 20 years of forensic entomology highlights the importance of insects in legal investigations.

This study highlights the importance of insect evidence by evaluating 949 insect-associated cases, including 139 entomological reports, from 2001 to 2019 at the Institute of Legal Medicine Frankfurt/Germany. With a high number of cases in the summer months and a low number in the colder season, 78.5% of the bodies were found indoors, regardless of year or month. In more than 80% of the cases, where PMI information was available (n = 704), the presumed PMI ranged from 1 to 21 days, a period during which entomological evidence can provide a day-specific estimate of PMImin. In cases where insects have been identified to species level (n = 279), most bodies were infested by one or two species with a maximum of 10 different species. Overall, a total of 55 insect species were found. Information on biology, activity and distribution of the most abundant taxa is given and applied for 5 case histories estimating different PMImins of up to over 6 months. Despite proved importance and scientific development of forensic entomology, insects are still rarely considered as a tool in forensic case work. The main reasons are a lack of awareness and (too) late involvement of a forensic entomologist. Our work shows that forensic entomology is an independent discipline that requires specialist expertise.

A field study to evaluate PMI estimation methods for advanced decomposition stages.

Estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) is one of the major tasks and a continuous challenge in forensic pathology. It is often an exclusion process of available methods, which ultimately can lead to an unsatisfactory outcome due to poor reliability. This problem is most acute in the late PMI, when decomposition proceeds and some methods (such as rigor, livor, and algor mortis) are no longer applicable. Several methods, such as forensic entomology, skeletal muscle protein degradation, and the study of body decomposition by application of a morphological scoring, are expected to provide further information; however, all have certain limitations and weaknesses. Availability of a tool-box of methods allows a case-specific selection of the most appropriate one(s), or eventually provides improvements in the overall accuracy and precision of the PMI estimation by merging and combining methods. To investigate practical (field) application, eventual interferences, and/or synergetic effects, as well as the robustness of these methods towards specific influencing factors, a field study was conducted, using eight pig cadavers of different body weights and physical coverage, left to decompose under natural conditions for 16 days. Morphological changes during decomposition were assessed using the total body score (TBS), muscle samples were collected to analyze protein degradation, and insect colonization was evaluated. The results reveal strengths and current limitations of all tested methods, as well as promising synergistic effects, and thus, provide a baseline for targeted future research.

Age determination of the adult blow fly Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) through quantitative pteridine fluorescence analysis.

Determination of a minimal postmortem interval via age estimation of necrophagous diptera has been restricted to the juvenile stages and the time until emergence of the adult fly, i.e. up until 2-6 weeks depending on species and temperature. Age estimation of adult flies could extend this period by adding the age of the fly to the time needed for complete development. In this context pteridines are promising metabolites, as they accumulate in the eyes of flies with increasing age. We studied adults of the blow fly Lucilia sericata at constant temperatures of 16 °C and 25 °C up to an age of 25 days and estimated their pteridine levels by fluorescence spectroscopy. Age was given in accumulated degree days (ADD) across temperatures. Additionally, a mock case was set up to test the applicability of the method. Pteridine increases logarithmically with increasing ADD, but after 70-80 ADD the increase slows down and the curve approaches a maximum. Sex had a significant impact (p < 4.09 × 10-6) on pteridine fluorescence level, while body-size and head-width did not. The mock case demonstrated that a slight overestimation of the real age (in ADD) only occurred in two out of 30 samples. Age determination of L. sericata on the basis of pteridine levels seems to be limited to an age of about 70 ADD, but depending on the ambient temperature this could cover an extra amount of time of about 5-7 days after completion of the metamorphosis.

Environmental factors influencing flight activity of forensically important female blow flies in Central Europe.

In forensic entomology, evaluation of a possible delay between a person's death and insect colonization is crucial. We monitored the seasonal flight activities of the most abundant blow flies in an urban habitat in Frankfurt/Germany based on 152 sampling days between April and October 2017. Thirty-six thousand female specimens of 12 necrophagous taxa were sampled as a possible groundwork for establishing a prediction tool for the activity of certain forensically relevant taxa. The most abundant taxon was Lucilia sericata (n = 19,544), followed by Lucilia caesar (n = 8025), Calliphora vicina (n = 5224), and Lucilia ampullacea (n = 1834). Up to six environmental parameters were statistically significant predictors of fly presence, leading to unique patterns of seasonal and daily activity for all four species. In detail, our analysis proved that L. sericata is a sun-loving, high-summer species that dominates the warmer months and is mostly influenced by mean day temperature. In contrast, L. caesar seems to be a shade-loving species that dominates in autumn resp. late-season and is mainly influenced by mean day temperature and wind speed. The activity of L. ampullacea was highly related to mean day temperature and relative humidity. In contrast to all other species, C. vicina behaved differently, particularly due to its occurrence throughout the entire sampling interval and the higher tolerance limits for the measured abiotic parameters, especially temperature. The present study is groundwork for establishing a prediction tool for the flight and oviposition activity of forensically relevant taxa.

An empirical comparison of decomposition and fly colonisation of concealed carcasses in the Old and New World.

The level of exposure or concealment of a cadaver is known to have an important impact on insect colonisation and decomposition but has been the subject of few investigations. In the present study, 30 pig carcasses were stored in three different types of containers (suitcases, trashcans and drums) with different levels of access for necrophagous insects at two different geographic locations for 100 days. The decomposition proceeded in a similar way in both geographic locations in all three types of container. Both in trashcans and suitcases, the decomposition process was characterised by bones and greasy, brown decomposition fluids left in the containers and an overall moist decomposition. In contrast, decomposition in the drums was characterised by a long bloating phase followed by a slow transition from bloated to deflation. Tissue and the carcasses as a whole were still present till the end of the experiment. Insect occurrence patterns and species composition on suitcases and trashcans were similar for both countries. Mainly flies and some beetles were present in suitcases and trashcans until day 45, with blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) dominating the fauna. There was no insect colonisation in the drums. Our study contributes to the knowledge about insect accessibility of concealed cadavers and the impact of concealment on the speed and type of decomposition. It clearly shows that the degree of exposure of a cadaver is a key factor in decomposition and insect colonisation, which had a larger effect here than the biogeographical location.

Correction to: Myiasis in humans-a global case report evaluation and literature analysis.

It was brought to the authors' attention that a citation within the published article was cited incorrectly.

Myiasis in humans-a global case report evaluation and literature analysis.

Myiasis refers to the infestation of living humans and vertebrates with fly larvae that feed on necrotic or vital tissue of the host. Since the invasion of new fly species in Europe is currently being observed, which live obligatorily parasitically or are close relatives of such species, the aim of this study is to obtain a global overview of the distribution of myiasis-causing fly species in times of climate change and to assess the possible consequences for Western Europe. A systematic literature search was conducted using Pubmed/Medline for the years 1997 to 2017 and a total of 464 international case reports from 79 countries were evaluated. The described cases were caused by 41 different species. In 99.4% of the cases, it was a colonization by just one species, a maximum of three species were detected in a human. Casuistics from Western Europe mostly describe myiasis as a "holiday souvenir" from tropical regions. Reports of autochthonous cases are rare in comparison to other regions. With regard to rising temperatures and the invasion of new fly species, a noticeable increase in the number of cases in Western Europe is to be assumed, which could be an increasing problem in the clinical area and in care, which is why thorough monitoring for professional identification and treatment seems important in the future.

Decomposition and insect colonization patterns of pig cadavers lying on forest soil and suspended above ground.

Hanging is one of the most common methods of suicide, and, although it is known that decomposition and patterns of insect fauna colonization of hanging cadavers differ from those of cadavers decomposing on the ground, these differences have only been sparsely studied in Europe so far. We studied the decomposition and insect colonization patterns of ten pig (Sus scrofa domestica) carcasses in a spruce forest near Neuchâtel, Switzerland, over a 32-day period in summer 2013 (July 1st - August 2nd). Five pig carcasses were suspended horizontally in metal cages one meter above the ground and five carcasses were placed directly on the ground. The species occurrence and abundance of Coleoptera and Diptera recovered from passive pitfall traps and collected manually on the carcasses were recorded. Indicator species of decomposition stages and suspended vs. ground cadavers were identified by Indicator Value (IndVal) analysis. The ground carcasses decomposed significantly faster than the suspended carcasses. Coleoptera and Diptera communities differed significantly over time, between treatment, and the treatment effect varied over time. Diptera were evenly distributed among the two treatments. Coleoptera were more abundant and less differentiated on the ground carcasses and represent better indicators of cadavers decomposing on the soil as well as decomposition stages. Our results suggest possible applications such as evaluating if a hanged cadaver has been dropped to the ground, or inversely if a cadaver first lying on the soil has later been hung to fake a suicide. However differences among studies suggest possible effects of meso-climate determined by habitat which should be explored further.

Same, same but different!-matching entomological traces to a human food source by stable isotope analysis.

Blow flies are important tools in forensic entomology, as they feed and develop on human bodies. This fact can be used to estimate the minimum post mortem interval (PMImin), by classifying the age of the immature stages found on corpses. The capacity to also be able to classify the age of adult flies, or even empty puparia, could increase the timeframe for a PMImin. However, the association of older developmental stages, such as adult flies or their empty cases, with a human cadaver may be challenged, as such specimens could stem from another food source. Analyzing the stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes in such specimens could be helpful here, as the isotope signatures reflect those of the food sources. We compared the δ15N and δ13C signatures of tissue from humans and 12 additional species by elemental analyzer-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS). We did the same for adult flies and empty puparia of the blow fly Lucilia sericata, which were derived from juvenile stages developed on tissues from the mentioned species. The isotope signatures for the adult flies and their empty puparia linearly mirrored the isotope signatures for the respective tissues on which they developed as larvae. Results such as these are useful to indicate the flies' nutritional history, but they do not provide the same kind of evidence that a DNA analysis would. As individual dietary habits, global distribution and environmental effects can influence isotope ratios, we strongly recommend to analyzing entomological traces and muscle tissues of potential donors or for other food sources.

Multispecies blow fly myiasis combined with hypothermia in a man assumed to be dead.

We describe the case of a man who was found with severe hypothermia and advanced myiasis involving five species of blow flies, which eventually led to a transtibial amputation of the man's right leg. A case of such a heavy and species-rich infestation with fly larvae in an urban environment is extraordinary and has, to our knowledge, never been described so far. Best practice in cases such as this one demands accurate species identification not only to ensure appropriate treatment and pest management but also, from a forensic point of view, to explore the possibility of third-party responsibility. The cooperation between physicians and forensic entomologists is highlighted.

Species diversity and tissue specific dispersal of necrophagous Diptera on human bodies.

In forensic entomology, many studies analyze fly activity and succession on dead bodies by using pig cadavers and a variety of small baited traps. Data on real human bodies are very rare. To address this shortcoming, we analyzed the fly fauna of 51 human bodies in Germany. Sex, age, place of discovery, and presumed time of death were noted. Larvae were sampled during autopsy according to body region or tissue. For every infested region, the total number of fly larvae were estimated and classified into categories of 1-10, 11-50, and 50+. All samples were identified to the species level. Besides a descriptive analysis of their occurrence patterns, a categorical PCA was performed, and multispecies generalized linear models and a latent variable model were run. Our results highlight the most forensically important blow flies on human bodies in Central Europe (Lucilia sericata, L. ampullacea, Phormia regina, Calliphora vicina); prove, for the first time, the general transferability of species lists based on succession studies on pig cadavers; recommend a certain set of species, such as the so-far neglected L. ampullacea, for future developmental studies; and reveal competitive occurrence of up to six species on the same body as a potential factor of influence. Assignment to a certain body region was often possible and our data clearly indicate certain tissues, e.g. brain, as of high interest for future developmental studies. Focusing on real scenario settings helps direct research to forensically relevant questions and appraises the plausibility of vital laboratory studies.

Effects of different storage and measuring methods on larval length values for the blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina.

In forensic entomology, the methods of sampling, killing, and storing entomological samples can affect larval age estimation, and, hence, the estimation of the minimum post-mortem interval. In the existing manuals, there is a certain amount of heterogeneity regarding methods and the recommendations for best practice in forensic entomology are insufficiently validated. This study evaluated three different length-measurement methods for larval stages and examined the influence of different killing and storing methods on the larval length of two forensically important blow flies, Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina. The three different measuring methods were a) a ruler with a 0.1mm scale, b) a geometrical micrometer, and c) a computer-aided stereomicroscope. They were used to measure the length of L1-L3C. vicina larvae and detect no significant differences. This supports the view that a simple tool like a geometrical micrometer can produce reliable results in forensic entomology. Newly hatched larvae of L. sericata and C. vicina were killed with hot water (HW) and divided into two equal subsamples. Lengths of all larvae were measured immediately after killing, then every 24h until day 4, and once more after 7days of storage in ≥70%-ethanol. L. sericata larvae only showed significant changes in length in the HW group stored at room temperature. After 4 and 7days of storage, these 24-h- and 72-h-old larvae showed a significant decrease in length compared with those in a fridge at 6°C. This decrease can, however, be considered a negligible natural variation without forensically relevant consequences for larval age estimation of L. sericata samples. For C. vicina, an increase in length was observed over time. This was significant only for younger larvae (24-48h old) stored in 70%-ethanol. This variance in length can lead to a wrong estimation of age; however, only for larvae stored in 70%-ethanol, not for those stored in 96%-ethanol. NOVELTY STATEMENT: We examined the influence of different killing and storing methods on two forensically important blow flies, Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina. For the latter species we additionally were evaluating three different length measurement methods. The results of both experiments suggest that it is possible to kill and store fly larvae directly in (not hot) ≥70%-ethanol. This simplifies the sampling and storing of fly evidence at the crime scene. We also compared the influence of three different measuring methods for estimating the length of L1-L3 C. vicina larvae by using a) a ruler with a 0,1mm scaling, b) a geometrical micrometer and c) a computer-aided stereomicroscope. No significant differences were detected, supporting the view, that a simple tool like a geometrical micrometer can produce reliable results. This study helps to simplify the sampling and evaluation of entomological evidence and to backup or questioning existing guidelines and best practice recommendations.

Estimating the age of the adult stages of the blow flies Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) by means of the cuticular hydrocarbon n-pentacosane.

Age estimation of insects like blow flies plays an important role in forensic entomology and can answer questions in regard to time of death. So far the focus is on the immature stages of these insects, but recently the adult fly became a target of interest. It has been established that the profile of specific cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) changes in a consistent pattern as adult insects age; thus, their analysis could be a promising tool for the age estimation of adult insects. We investigated the CHC n-pentacosane (nC25) on the legs of the adult blow flies Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The flies were kept at room temperature (17°C±2°C) and 12:12 L:D from Day 1 to Day 20 post-emergence. For each of five flies per species, the amount of nC25 on all legs was determined daily. The amounts of nC25 on C. vicina increased linearly (R2=0.949). No significant difference between sexes could be detected. While L. sericata showed the same linear increase in general, we found significant (p<0.001) differences in the amount of nC25 between males and females. Although the amounts of nC25 increased linearly for both sexes (males: R2=0.948; females: R2=0.920), female L. sericata produced more nC25 than males. An equation for the prediction of fly age is constructed from these data. Although the influence of various environmental factors, e.g., fluctuating temperatures, still needs to be tested, nC25 seems to be a promising tool for the age estimation of adult flies.

Helicopter thermal imaging for detecting insect infested cadavers.

One of the most common techniques applied for searching living and even dead persons is the FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) system fixed on an aircraft like e.g. a helicopter, visualizing the thermal patterns emitted from objects in the long-infrared spectrum. However, as body temperature cools down to ambient values within approximately 24h after death, it is common sense that searching for deceased persons can be just applied the first day post-mortem. We postulated that the insect larval masses on a decomposing body generate a heat which can be considerably higher than ambient temperatures for a period of several weeks and that such heat signatures might be used for locating insect infested human remains. We examined the thermal history of two 70 and 90kg heavy pig cadavers for 21days in May and June 2014 in Germany. Adult and immature insects on the carcasses were sampled daily. Temperatures were measured on and inside the cadavers, in selected maggot masses and at the surroundings. Thermal imaging from a helicopter using the FLIR system was performed at three different altitudes up to 1500ft. during seven day-flights and one night-flight. Insect colonization was dominated by blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) which occurred almost immediately after placement of the cadavers. Larvae were noted first on day 2 and infestation of both cadavers was enormous with several thousand larvae each. After day 14 a first wave of post-feeding larvae left the carcasses for pupation. Body temperature of both cadavers ranged between 15°C and 35°C during the first two weeks of the experiment, while body surface temperatures peaked at about 45°C. Maggot masses temperatures reached values up to almost 25°C above ambient temperature. Detection of both cadavers by thermal imaging was possible on seven of the eight helicopter flights until day 21.