Body Bag
Definition
The sealed bag used to transport the body from scene to mortuary. Treated as a collection zone because migrating larvae, puparia, and adult insects may be retained inside it, separate from those still on the body.
- Role
- Sealed transport container from scene to mortuary
- Forensic entomology use
- Secondary collection zone for larvae, puparia and adults
- Collection distinction
- Specimens logged separately from those taken directly off the body
Common questions
Why are insects found inside the body bag collected separately from those on the body?+
Larvae and adults can migrate off the body during transport and become trapped inside the bag, so specimens recovered there may not reflect the exact colonisation pattern at the scene. Logging them as a distinct collection avoids conflating scene-derived and transport-derived evidence when reconstructing the colonisation timeline.
Can body bag residue affect a postmortem interval estimate?+
Yes, if specimens from the bag are mistakenly treated as scene specimens, the apparent developmental stage present can skew the estimate. Entomologists typically note bag-recovered insects as a separate, later sample rather than folding them into the primary scene collection.
Related terms
- External Examination
- The stage of the autopsy in which the pathologist examines the body surface, documents injuries, and removes clothing before any incisions are...
- Instar
- A developmental stage between moults (ecdysis). Blow flies have three larval instars (L1, L2, L3), each ending when the larva sheds its...
- Internal Cavity Insects
- Larvae or puparia found inside the skull, thorax, or abdomen during internal autopsy examination. They often represent colonisation through wounds or extended...
- Maggot Mass Documentation
- The photographic and physical record of each maggot mass location, volume, instar, and temperature taken at the start of autopsy before any...
- Puparium
- The hardened, barrel-shaped case formed from the last larval skin when a blow fly larva pupates. Puparia are dark brown and can...