Advances and Current Status in the Use of Cuticular Hydrocarbons for Forensic Entomology Applications

David Stewart-Yates; Garth L Maker; Stefano D'Errico; Paola A Magni

doi:10.3390/insects16020144

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Advances and Current Status in the Use of Cuticular Hydrocarbons for Forensic Entomology Applications

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Advances and Current Status in the Use of Cuticular Hydrocarbons for Forensic Entomology Applications

David Stewart-Yates, Garth L Maker, Stefano D'Errico and Paola A Magni

Insects (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.16(2), 144

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16020144

PMID: 40003774

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Abstract

chemical analyses

blow flies

age estimation

environmental factors

species identification

PMI

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are long-chain lipids found on the exoskeletons of insects, serving primarily as a protective barrier against water loss and environmental factors. In the last few decades, the qualitative and quantitative analysis of CHCs, particularly in blow flies, has emerged as a valuable tool in forensic entomology, offering promising potential for species identification and age estimation of forensically important insects. This review examines the current application of CHC analysis in forensic investigations and highlights the significant advancements in the field over the past few years. Studies have demonstrated that CHC profiles vary with insect development, and while intra-species variability exists due to factors such as age, sex, geographical location, and environmental conditions, these variations can be harnessed to refine post-mortem interval (PMI) estimations and improve the accuracy of forensic entomological evidence. Notably, CHC analysis can also aid in distinguishing between multiple generations of insects on a body, providing insights into post-mortem body movement and aiding in the interpretation of PMI in complex cases. Furthermore, recent studies have investigated the variability and degradation of CHCs over time, revealing how environmental factors-such as temperature, humidity, UV light exposure, and toxicological substances-affect CHC composition, providing valuable insights for forensic investigations. Despite the promise of CHC profiling, several challenges remain, and this review also aims to highlight future research directions to enhance the reliability of this technique in forensic casework.

Details

Title: Advances and Current Status in the Use of Cuticular Hydrocarbons for Forensic Entomology Applications
Authors/Creators: David Stewart-Yates - Murdoch University
Garth L Maker - Murdoch University, Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine
Stefano D'Errico - University of Trieste
Paola A Magni - Murdoch University, School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences
Publication Details: Insects (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.16(2), 144
Publisher: MDPI
Number of pages: 11
Identifiers: 991005748927607891
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences; Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.32 Entomology; 3.32.1638 Forensic Entomology
Web Of Science research areas: Entomology
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science