Technical note: A technique to mount Sarcophagidae and Calliphoridae (Diptera) larvae for forensic identification using geometric morphometrics

Geometric morphometric analyses use landmark coordinates from images of specific areas on specimens. Therefore, to minimize differences arising from human preparation, preparation of the specimen is crucial. The application of geometric morphometrics has been used in entomology for identifying adult dipteran species, however, applying this technique to larval specimens requires the production of standard protocols which would allow specimens to be compared equally. This proposed protocol consists of a two-step process: 1. using 15% potassium hydroxide (KOH) to clear the specimen, followed by rinsing the specimen with 80% ethanol; 2. removal and spreading of the mouthhooks on a slide for imaging and analysis. The goal of this work is to standardize specimen preparation, which would reduce human error and facilitate use of geometric morphometrics to identify dipteran larvae.