Mites (Acari) as a Relevant Tool in Trace Evidence and Postmortem Analyses of Buried Corpses

Abstract

This report interprets the presence of mite species in three clandestine graves in Europe, evaluating their potential use as trace evidence or markers. Grave 1 (Sweden): Two mite species Rhizoglyphus robini Claparède, 1869 and Parasitus loricatus (Wankel, 1861) were recovered from the surface of a body buried in a shallow grave in an area surrounded by trees, in close vicinity to house gardens. Grave 2 (Germany): Phoretic deutonymphs of Gamasodes spiniger (Trägårdh, 1910) were attached to an adult fly (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae) found within a shallow grave containing two human bodies covered in soil and dung. Grave 3 (France): P. loricatus were recovered from the soil around a body buried in a deep grave (80 cm under). In graves 1 and 3 both corpses were undergoing advanced decay and skeletization, the locations match with the subterranean habit of P. loricatus, highlighting the value of this species as a marker of graves or burials in soil and during late decomposition. R. robini is a soil mite that feeds on decayed roots and bulbs; this mite species confirms the location of the corpse within top soil, agreeing with a more specific type of superficial burial, a shallow grave. In case 2, the presence of both coprophiles, the mite G. spiniger and the carrier fly confirm association of remains with dung or animal feces. The three mite species are reported for the first time in human graves. There are no previous records of R. robini from Sweden.

Assemblages of Acari in shallow burials: mites as markers of the burial environment, of the stage of decay and of body-cadaver regions

“…Parasitidae mites increased in abundance as the cadaver progressed from bloated, active and advanced decay and decreased during the dry stage. Their colonisation of cadavers during these stages is primarily due to the arrival of their phoretic hosts, as many deutonymphal Parasitidae are phoretic with necrophagous and necrophilous flies (Fain and Greenwood 1991;Hyatt 1980;Rai et al 2020;Saloña-Bordas and Perotti 2019) and beetles (Costa 1963;González-Medina et al 2013;Hyatt 1980;Schwarz and Walzl 1996;Schwarz and Müller 1992). This is reflected by the results of this study where they were significantly more abundant in cadaver soils, suggesting that most species associated with the shallow graves are phoretic Parasitidae.…”

“…Likewise, the Macrochelidae species Macrocheles glaber and several Parasitidae species were colonising heavily decomposed human remains in a shallow grave, providing indications on the stage of decay and supporting the PMI estimated by flies (Kamaruzaman et al 2018). Additionally, Parasitus loricatus (Mesostigmata, Parasitidae) and Rhizoglyphus robini (Astigmata, Acaridae) were recovered from buried human remains in advanced decay, and the Parasitidae species Gamasodes spiniger was recovered from buried human remains during active decay (Rai et al 2020). An abundance of Macrocheles species was recovered from buried pig cadavers during active decay (Rysavy and Goff 2015) and Astigmata species (Caloglyphus sp.)…”

“…In studies of graves, Parasitidae mites can colonise shallow as well as deep graves (Goff 1991;Rai et al 2020;Vanlaerhoven and Anderson 1999). Parasitidae mites increased in abundance as the cadaver progressed from bloated, active and advanced decay and decreased during the dry stage.…”

“…It is a phoretic of necrophagous Diptera and Coleoptera (Copris hispanus) (Costa 1963). Phoretic deutonymphs of G. spiniger were collected attached to lesser dung fly, the Spelobia fly (Sphaeroceridae) during active decay of two human corpses in a shallow grave concealed with manure (Rai et al 2020). It is a known traveller on Sphaeroceridae flies (Lundqvist 1998, Samsinak 1989, its occurrence in graves is expected as Sphaeroceridae are extremely common due to their ability to access the cadaver via small crevices in the soil (Pastula and Merritt 2013).…”

Mites occurring in farm buildings as allergic agents and indicators in forensic analyses

“…Moreover, mites of the genus Rhizoglyphus also have the ability to develop heteromorphic deutonymphs, which are morphologically similar to those of Sancassania. They are phoretically associated with several species of Scarabaeidae (Coleoptera), such as Osmoderma eremicola, Bothynus gibbosus, and Phyllophaga spp.insects, which belong to the group of opportunistic colonisers of human and animal remains (Rai et al 2020). Many of mites described above belong to the most numerous species in the analysed farm buildings.…”