Forensic Entomology & Maggot Masses

Tonight I've been reading "Insect Development and Forensic Entomology" (a book chapter by Higley & Haskell 2009) and I'm in the section entitled "Development and Maggot Mass Temperatures." Yep. I'm reading about maggot mass temperatures in dead human bodies. Apparently the temperature inside a mass of maggots can be 90F even on a dead body that's been inside a morgue cooler for 48 hours! Even I say "gross" to that one...  Plus, there can be a 6C degree drop from the center of a maggot mass to the edge. But maggots move around within the mass, so they are exposed to that whole range of temperatures. 

Why does this matter? Temperature is a key factor influencing insect development, which is important to know if you're going to use insect development to estimate time of death. Wild, huh?

From www.sciencebuddies.org

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"Who saw him die?"

"I," said the fly,

"With my little eye

I saw him die."

-Unknown author

So Many Insects, So Little Time...

This graph is awesome to show the dominance of insects.  Insects make up about 2/3 of life on earth! And there is so much about insects left to discover!!

Image from: Grimaldi and Engel. 2005. Evolution of the insects .

Just making sure you catch it-- all birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals are part of that tiny sliver around 2 o'clock that says "chordates."  The "other animals" to the left of that are things like snails, jellyfish, sea stars, corals, worms, etc.    A little perspective is always good...  :-)
-A

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“Nature is to be found in her entirety nowhere more than in her smallest creatures.”

  - Pliny