Chrysomya rufifacies is a species belonging to the blow fly family, Calliphoridae, and is most significant in the field of forensic entomology due to its use in establishing or altering post mortem intervals.

[5] Knowledge of the lifecycle of C. rufifacies is crucial in determining the post mortem interval for applications related to medicocriminal entomology.

C. rufifacies is especially important in these determinations due to its highly predictable developmental time and low degree of variation in larval development.

The developmental time of the species is highly dependent upon temperature due to the cold-blooded nature of insects and the number of accumulated degree days.

[3] A prepupal stage is often present and characterized by larval dispersion and migration away from the food source in search of a pupation site.

Thus, in medicocriminal investigations, if a corpse is wrapped and causes restriction of maggot migration, altered developmental times should be considered.

Pupation usually occurs near the soil surface or near decaying flesh, and the skin of the larvae hardens to form a dark brown puparium or outer casing.

It is beneficial to humans due to its facultatively predatory nature, in which it consumes maggots of other species, especially competitors on necrotic tissue.

[7] Although a report had been made in 1982 of a case in Hidalgo County, Texas, where myiasis had been discovered in a dog, C. rufifacies tends to primarily affect livestock.

Periodic oviposits on improperly cleaned newborn calves, as well as myiasis of mature cattle and sheep, have been reported in Texas and Arizona, where the fly has established resident populations.

Chrysomya rufifacies is one of the most forensically important flies because of its extremely predictable developmental time, minimal larval length difference, and low regional variation.

C. rufifacies could have an impact in distorting post mortem intervals by eliminating primary maggots on a corpse, due to its facultatively predatory nature during the second- and third-instar larval stages.

The larvae also have a shorter developmental time than other species, but because of their predatory nature, they can also alter entomological-based post mortem interval estimation.

[6] Chrysomya rufifacies is of primary forensic importance in the field of medicocriminal entomology and aids in establishing post mortem intervals.

This newly achieved success will require close monitoring of the species to examine its ecological effects and determine any serious involvement in myiasis.

Further research in the developmental and successional behavior of the species will allow for more accurate post mortem interval calculations in the field of medicocriminal entomology.