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1) Forensic entomology and Taxonomy of Calliphoridae, 2) Molecular taxonomy of Neotropical flies (Syrphidae & Calliphoridae)

 Description of project: 

Molecular identification of flies is a valuable tool for Forensic Science and for studies of Neotropical hotspots of biodiversity. In both cases the correct identification of immature stages (mainly larvae) it is the key factor for understanding the ecology, habitats and biology of the insect species. The age of larvae of blow and flesh flies is used for calculating the Post-mortem Interval which is species dependent. In many cases it is difficult to impossible to obtain the adult flies for correct species determinations by rearings of the immature stages. In the case of Neotropical ecosystems, for many species exclusively the larval stages are obtained during field work and obtaining imagos under artificial conditions is complicated. Using molecular techniques informative DNA sequences can be obtained both for larvae and adults, which facilitates the matching of sequence data of the different developmental stages for discerning the species.
Duration of training: 
3 weeks
Training period: 
To be discussed with mentor
Target Audience: 
MSc students, PhD students and early career researchers
Practical experiences: 
DNA laboratory work (DNA extraction and PCR techniques)
Lectures: 
Basic molecular methodologies
Name of mentor / supervisor: 
Gunilla Ståhls-Mäkelä
Institution/Organisation: 
Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Finland
Unit/Department/Laboratory: 
Department of Entomology
Address: 
Finnish Museum of Natural History Entomology dept.-PO Box 17 FIN-00014 Finland