Maggot Mass Documentation
Definition
The photographic and physical record of each maggot mass location, volume, instar, and temperature taken at the start of autopsy before any examination disturbs the insects. This is the only record once the pathologist begins.
Related terms
- Body Bag
- The sealed bag used to transport the body from scene to mortuary. Treated as a collection zone because migrating larvae, puparia, and...
- 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...
- Puparium
- The hardened, barrel-shaped case formed from the last larval skin when a blow fly larva pupates. Puparia are dark brown and can...
Explained in
- Collection at Autopsy and from the BodyThe photographic and physical record of each maggot mass location, volume, instar, and temperature taken at the start of autopsy before any examination disturb...