Insects of forensic importance associated to cadaveric decomposition in a rural area of the Andean Amazon, Caquetá, Colombia

Abstract

Forensic entomology is a frequently used tool to estimate the time interval between death and the discovery of the corpse. Succession of arthropods associated with cadaveric decomposition was monitored in a rural area of the Municipality of Florencia, Department of Caquetá, Colombia. Three pigs (Sus scrofa) were used as study models. Insect sampling, and monitoring of carcasses and environmental conditions were carried out every five hours. The total time from death to skeletonization was of 545 hours (22.7 days). A total of 30833 insect individuals were collected. Specimens were distributed in nine orders, 46 families, 95 genera and 106 species. Diptera was the most abundant, with 23215 individuals (75.3%), followed by Coleoptera, with 3711 individuals (12%), and Hymenoptera, with 3154 individuals (10.2%). Immature stages of Cochliomyia macellaria, Chrysomya albiceps, Hemilucilia semidiaphana and Ophyra aenescens were the main species involved in tissue consumption and acceleration of the decomposition process. Due to the presence of ants Cheliomyrmex sp., Camponotus sp. and Dinoponera sp., and coleopterans Hister sp., Acylophorus sp. and Philonthus spp., it was not possible to obtain sufficient Diptera egg masses for rearing the colonizing species. These results can be used as a standard to determine the postmortem interval in criminal investigations in the rural area of the Andean Amazon, Caquetá, Colombia.

Altitudinal Distribution of Calliphoridae (Diptera: Insecta) on the Eastern Slope of the Eastern Mountain Range in the Andean Amazon, Colombia

“…The biology of the blowflies is diverse, with several synanthropic species living in a high degree of association with human settlements (Shewell, 1992). Due to their eating habits, mainly carrion, they play a key ecological role as carrion decomposers, used in the determination of the Postmortem Interval (PMI) (Ramos-Pastrana & Wolff, 2017;Ramos-Pastrana, Virgüez-Díaz & Wolff, 2018). These flies make up a large part of the cadaverous fauna and in addition to PMI dating, they provide evidence about the place of death and postmortem circumstances that can be used as fundamental information related to legal cases such as cases of abuse and neglect of children and the elderly (Arnaldos, Prado, López-Gallego & García et al, 2006;Ramos-Pastrana & Wolff, 2017), as well as in cases involving traffic accidents, origin or geographical origin of narcotic drugs and deaths caused by drug use and poisoning (Anderson & Sherah, 1996).…”

Scavengers flesh flies (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) from two phytophysiognomies in the state of Maranhão, Northeastern of Brazil

“…Lipoptilocnema misella was only identified in the Brazilian states of Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, and Minas Gerais (Mulieri et al 2016, Sousa et al 2016. Because this species, like many others in the same genus, is associated with Cerrado areas (Mulieri et al 2016), it is absent in forensic studies and lists of scavenger flesh flies in the Amazon (Vairo et al 2014, Ramos-Pastrana et al 2018.…”

Análise do Conhecimento Sobre Entomologia Forense dos Profissionais da Segurança Pública das Cidades do Sertão Pernambucano

“…Nesse contexto é perceptível que os índices de acertos foram muito baixos, independentemente das repartições, expressando assim a necessidade de conhecimento nesta área. O Intervalo de Pós-Morte, tempo entre a morte e a descoberta da carcaça, período conhecido como Post-mortem Interval (PMI) [11], e é baseado na sucessão de insetos e estágio de desenvolvimento dos imaturos encontrados no corpo em decomposição [12].…”