In episode nine of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. David Rivers, a professor at Loyola University, about the detection of insect stains and the development of a quantifiable confirmatory test for fly contamination of bloodstain evidence.

There are roughly 86,000 species of flies that have been identified on a global scale. Approximately 16,000 species of flies reside in the United States. Of those 16,000 species, 1,000 are known to show interest in decomposing bodies. For post-mortem interval estimates, the species that lay eggs or deposit larvae are often considered the most useful. But now, that might not be the case. Instead of focusing on the life cycle of the fly, Dr. David Rivers has pursued a different characteristic: their behavior. Through extensive recording and observation, Dr. Rivers and his team have discovered that there are over 13 different artifacts produced as a direct result of a fly’s behavior. Listen in as he discusses the complexity of insect behavior and its potential use in a forensic investigation.

This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.