Lecturer University of the West Indies Kingston, Kingston, Jamaica
Members of the Dipteran order more specifically blow flies, enable forensic investigators to determine the post mortem interval of a decedent. The use of morphological features of collected specimens to identify species may prove challenging in some instances due to the great degree of similarity observed between closely related species or lack of clear defining features in the immature stages. The molecular approach has allowed for the accurate identification Dipterans at all stages of their development. In this study, the COI gene was used in the identification of blow flies belonging to the genus Chrysomya, Cochliomya and Lucilia. The COI gene was also used to identify flesh flies belonging to the genus Pekia, Helicobia and Oxysarchodexia. This study presents molecular based identification as a viable tool for identifying members of the Dipteran order of forensic importance in Jamaica. It also demonstrates the genetic diversity of Jamaican blow flies and flesh flies and provides a DNA reference database for further use in forensic entomology within the country and the regions where these species exit.
