Quantitative Genetic Diagnosis of Medical and Forensic Insect Species in Diyala Governorate Using Geometric Wing Morphometrics

Abstract

A morphometric analysis was conducted on the right wing of adult males of some forensic insects, such as Chrysomya megacephala, and medical insects such as Sarcophaga carnaria and Musca domestica, collected from different areas in Diyala Governorate. The aim of this research was to differentiate between male medical and forensic insects based on the shape and size of the right wing central centroid. The analysis of the right wings in this work was carried out from adult males of the species S. carnaria, M. domestica, and C. megacephal. Samples were collected using light traps, and 19 marks were identified on each wing and placed at the ends of the longitudinal veins and between the intersections of the veins with the longitudinal veins. Significant differences were found in the mean right wing centroid and wing shape between adult males of medical and forensic insects. The results showed that the mean right wing centroid was 1576.52, 1633.33, and 1126.15 for C. megacephala and S. carnaria and M. domestica, respectively, when comparing C. megacephala with S. carnaria (f = 3.49, p = 0.03 and t = 1.13, p = 0.27 and AD = 56.81), comparing C. megacephala with M. domestica (f = 2.19, t = 0.15 and t = 15.8, p = 1.77 and AD = 450.35), and comparing S. carnaria with M. domestica (f = 7.65, p = 0.00 and t = 10.82, p = 1.61 and AD = 507.17). When comparing the right wing morphology between males of C. megacephala, S. carnaria and M.domestica, a significant difference was observed (f = 0.00, p = 0.99). A significant difference in wingsize (f = 0.18, p = 1.00) was also observed between species.