Genome sizes of forensically relevant Diptera.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Entomology
• Genomics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Accurate identification of species and sex in forensically relevant Diptera is crucial for legal investigations.
• Immature stages of many Diptera species are morphologically challenging to identify by sex or species.
• Existing methods may not be sufficient for all forensic scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate genome sizes for both sexes of 17 forensically relevant Diptera species.
• To explore the utility of genome size estimates for species and sex determination, especially in immature stages.
• To assess the potential of flow cytometry for identifying forensically relevant larvae.

Main Methods:

• Genome size estimation using flow cytometry for 17 Diptera species (four families).
• Analysis of genome size data for sexual dimorphism and interspecies variation.
• Comparison of genome size estimates with morphological identification methods.

Main Results:

• Average genome sizes ranged from 425.8 Mb (female Chrysomya rufifacies) to 1,197.4 Mb (male Haematobia irritans).
• Three families exhibited sexually dimorphic genome sizes, enabling sex determination in immature stages.
• Closely related species showed significantly different genome sizes, indicating potential for species identification.

Conclusions:

• Genome size estimation provides a novel tool for sex determination in immature Diptera, overcoming morphological limitations.
• Flow cytometry and genome size data can aid in the species identification of forensically relevant larvae.
• These findings enhance molecular and forensic entomology techniques for analyzing Diptera evidence.