Age determination of insects collected from vertebrate remains is an essential step in estimating time since colonization as related to the post-mortem interval. Long-established methods for making such estimates rely on determining age related to stage of development at the time of collection in relation to conditions experienced. However, such estimates are based on the completion of a stage of development. Methods allowing for more precise estimates of age (i.e., within a stage of development) are sorely needed. This study examined the potential of volatile organic compounds emitted by blow fly, Ch. rufifacies (Macquart), immatures to determine stage of development, which could potentially be used to estimate the age. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the larval and pupal stages of Ch. rufifacies were collected by headspace solid-phase micro-extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Analyses indicated 37 compounds shift quantitatively, as well as qualitatively, as the larvae and pupae age. Furthermore, compounds, such as 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, phenol, butanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, 2-methyl propanamide, and 2-methyl butanoic acid, serve as indicator compounds of specific stages within Ch. rufifacies development. This information could be important to determine if these compounds can be used in the field to predict the presence of certain developmental stages, in order to determine the potential of using volatile markers to estimate time of colonization.

确定从脊椎动物残骸收集的昆虫的年龄是估算自定植以来与死后间隔有关的时间的重要步骤。进行此类估算的悠久方法依赖于在收集时根据经历的条件确定与发育阶段有关的年龄。但是，这些估计是基于开发阶段的完成而得出的。迫切需要能够更精确地估计年龄（即在发育阶段）的方法。这项研究检查了由苍蝇Ch释放的挥发性有机化合物的潜力。rufifacies（Macquart），不成熟以确定发育阶段，可潜在地用于估计年龄。幼虫和p期的挥发性有机化合物（VOC）频道 通过顶空固相微萃取然后气相色谱-质谱（GC-MS）收集红宝石。分析表明，随着幼虫和p年龄的增长，37种化合物在数量上和质量上都发生了变化。此外，诸如2-乙基-1-己醇，苯酚，丁酸，十六烷酸，十八烷酸，2-甲基丙酰胺和2-甲基丁酸的化合物用作Ch中特定阶段的指示剂化合物。赚钱发展。该信息对于确定这些化合物是否可以在野外用于预测某些发育阶段的存在可能很重要，以便确定使用挥发性标记物评估定殖时间的潜力。