Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae): A potentially forgotten forensically important species in Malaysia

• Published in: Science and Justice
• Main Author: Jones A.K.; Hidayah Shamsuddin N.; Chin Heo C.
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: Forensic Science Society 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85191524453&doi=10.1016%2fj.scijus.2024.04.006&partnerID=40&md5=50f2a0736699fdc10ad2ce13abb795f2

Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) has been collected in human forensic case work. This species is endemic in Malaysia but is not one of the most common species and is often found in outdoor cases. However, it is hypothesized that the presence of L. cuprina larvae may provide useful information in forensic case studies in Malaysia where this species has previously been ignored. This review will discuss the current background knowledge on L. cuprina, particularly when it comes to other forensic cases in Malaysia. General biology as well as key information for forensic work such as geographical distribution and developmental data will be reviewed. Finally, we discuss the potential for L. cuprina to provide beneficial and unique forensic insight into indoor cases with refuse. © 2024 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences