Abstract
Chrysomia albicepsWiedemann (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is one of the first insects to colonise human and animal carrion and thus one of the most important insects in forensic entomology. Since the presence of these blow flies have been reported in most of the provinces in Saudi Arabia, we analyse the succession patterns ofC. albicepson decomposing rabbit carcasses injected with heroin or administered orally with alcoholic beverages. Samples of flies from the carcasses of heroin or alcohol-treated and untreated rabbits were obtained for 15 days post mortem. A total of 1,297 and 1,426 flies were attracted to rabbit carcasses during the heroin and alcohol tests, respectively. The blow flies appeared in different developmental instars (larvae, pupae and adults), and at all stages of decomposition. Administration of higher concentrations of heroin or higher amounts of alcohol were generally associated with an increase in the number of blow flies drawn to rabbit carcasses (P < 0.05). The highest number of blow flies were attracted during the decay stage of decomposition, and the lowest during the fresh stage. In the case of medicolegal investigation, whenC. albicepsused as a forensic indicator, it is recommended that the impact of heroin or alcoholic beverages on the succession patterns be considered.