Low temperature episodes in development of blowflies: implications for postmortem interval estimation

Traditionally the calculation of accumulated degree days or hours (ADD or ADH) involves the concept of a minimum threshold temperature below which development ceases. Hence in fluctuating conditions, where temperatures drop below this threshold, there may be periods of time when development is taken to be zero. This has important implications when the calculation of postmortem interval (PMI) is based on the ADD or ADH of larval dipterans. Normal development of larvae of the blowflies Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy and C. vomitoria L. (Diptera: Calliphoridae) at 20 degrees C was interrupted by cold episodes. The expectation was that total development time would increase by the period at low (therefore no development) temperature but the total ADD or ADH should be the same as non-cold treated cohorts. The results, however, showed that total ADH for both species decreased linearly with increasing temperature with no evidence of any minimum threshold temperature effect. The increased ADH at low temperatures may be due to either continued but reduced development or a delay in development restarting after the cold episode. Use of ADH in PMI estimations has shortcomings particularly during the winter period where low temperatures are involved or where there are sudden summer cold spells during the development period. As blowfly development progresses from egg to pupa such errors will be compounded.