In this experiment, the viability of gunshot residue (GSR) was examined. This was done through the very rarely researched intersection of forensic firearms analysis and forensic entomology. The question being resolved is if GSR can reliably be detected from secondary evidence transfer of GSR laden carrion onto flies and their larvae. While it is know that secondary and tertiary GSR evidence can be transferred by way of handshakes, no such research has been conducted on flies or their pupae. Findings indicated varying levels of detection of GSR on evidence. GSR could reliably be detected on fly bodies and their legs, but not on their pupae. This research is significant as it provides previously unknown information on this line of research and provides the groundwork for further research on this topic in the future.

The field of forensic science has been growing and changing with improvements in DNA analysis. One field affected is forensic entomology, which is exploring many ways in which DNA can increase the application of insects in forensic science. One application being explored is the use of insects as a source of human DNA in a criminal investigation. Using flies as a source of foreign DNA can also be utilized in ecological research to conduct surveys on the various species present in different environments. This experiment intends to determine if flies can act as a viable source of alternate DNA. This will be accomplished by an ecological survey of DNA extracted from flies. DNA extractions were performed on flies gathered from parts of the greater Phoenix area. The DNA was then amplified with primers targeting different animal species and examined to observe what animals the flies had come in contact with. Several samples had contamination due to human error and were not able to be evaluated. One DNA extraction out of fifteen yielded pig DNA, indicating flies can be used as a source of DNA. Future experiments should use different animal primers and amplify sections of DNA that can determine the different species consumed by flies. Further research into flies as a DNA source can increase the amount of information available to forensic scientists as well as improve ecologist’s observation of an environment’s biodiversity.