Born From Death
(Open Section)

Forget the markets; this little piggy went straight to the forensic entomologist! During the summer of 2008, the activity of blowflies was investigated by researchers in the ICB, using piglets that had died of natural causes as mock corpses. Blowflies lay eggs within minutes of death, which then hatch into larvae and pupate to become adults. Here you can see the heavy infestation of skeletonised remains by blowfly pupae. Understanding blowfly behaviour is vital in forensic science, especially for the accurate estimation of time since death in criminal investigations. In regards to death, that’s all folks.