Death, flies and environments: Towards a qualitative assessment of insect (Diptera) colonization of human cadavers retrieved from sites of death in Brazil

IF 2.2 3区医学 Q1 MEDICINE, LEGAL

Forensic science international Pub Date : 2024-10-09 DOI:10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112241

Stephanie Evelyn Guimarães de Barros , Carla de Lima Bicho , Henrique Rafael Pontes Ferreira , Simão Dias Vasconcelos

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Empirical data on decomposition ecology have long established blowflies (Calliphoridae) and flesh flies (Sarcophagidae) (Diptera) as the most frequent colonizers of carrion, especially at early stages of decomposition. However, the scarcity of studies based on human cadavers has hindered inferences about colonization of homicide victims in real case scenarios. We describe here a survey of insects associated with cadavers retrieved from the site of death in Northeastern Brazil, with emphasis on the association between species diversity and the surrounding environment. We examined 81 cadavers, most of which were of men and resulting from violent death. Twelve cadavers (14.8 %) contained insect larvae, which were reared in the laboratory until adult emergence and identification. Ten species of Diptera effectively colonized the cadavers; seven of Family Calliphoridae – Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819), Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794), Chrysomya putoria (Wiedemann, 1830), Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius, 1775), Hemilucilia segmentaria (Fabricius, 1805), Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830), Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann, 1819) and three of Family Sarcophagidae, Blaesoxipha (Gigantotheca) stallengi (Lahille, 1907), Microcerella halli (Engel, 1931) and Peckia (Sarcodexia) lambens (Wiedemann, 1830). The species C. albiceps and C. macellaria were the most frequent colonizers, while Sarcophagidae was reported in only four cases. Insects were present on cadavers found in urban (n = 8) and rural (n = 4) sites, outdoors (n = 6) and inside (n = 6) residences. Presence of larvae was more frequent in the natural orifices in the head (n = 11). Clothing did not prevent from ovi/larviposition for most species. We present the first register of B. stallengi colonizing human corpses and expand the knowledge on the geographical distribution of necrophagous insects. Our protocol may contribute to forensic entomology in areas exposed to fast decomposition, such as the Neotropical Region.

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死亡、苍蝇和环境：对巴西死亡现场发现的人类尸体上的昆虫（双翅目）定植情况进行定性评估

长期以来，有关腐烂生态学的经验数据已经证实，吹蝇（Calliphoridae）和肉蝇（Sarcophagidae）（双翅目）是腐肉中最常见的定殖者，尤其是在腐烂的早期阶段。然而，基于人类尸体的研究很少，这阻碍了在真实案例中对杀人受害者定殖情况的推断。我们在此描述了对巴西东北部死亡现场提取的尸体上相关昆虫的调查，重点是物种多样性与周围环境之间的关联。我们研究了 81 具尸体，其中大部分是男性，而且都是暴力致死。12具尸体（14.8%）含有昆虫幼虫，这些幼虫在实验室中饲养到成虫出现并进行鉴定。有 10 种双翅目昆虫在尸体上有效定殖；其中 7 种为 Calliphoridae 科 - Chrysomya albiceps（Wiedemann，1819 年）、Chrysomya megacephala（Fabricius，1794 年）、Chrysomya putoria（Wiedemann，1830 年）、Cochliomyia macellaria（Fabricius，1775 年）、Hemilucilia segmentaria（Fabricius，1805 年）、Lucilia cuprina（Wiedemann，1830 年）、Lucilia eximia（Wiedemann，1819 年），以及鲭科中的三个物种：Blaesoxipha (Gigantotheca) stallengi（Lahille，1907 年）、Microcerella halli（Engel，1931 年）和 Peckia (Sarcodexia) lambens（Wiedemann，1830 年）。C. albiceps 和 C. macellaria 是最常见的定殖昆虫，而 Sarcophagidae 仅出现在 4 个病例中。在城市（8 例）和农村（4 例）、室外（6 例）和住宅内（6 例）发现的尸体上都有昆虫。幼虫更经常出现在头部的自然孔口（n = 11）。对大多数物种来说，衣服并不妨碍其产卵/幼虫寄生。我们首次登记了 B. stallengi 在人类尸体上的定殖情况，扩大了对食尸昆虫地理分布的了解。我们的研究方案可能有助于新热带地区等快速腐烂地区的法医昆虫学研究。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Forensic science international 医学-医学：法

CiteScore

5.00

自引率

9.10%

发文量

285

审稿时长

49 days

期刊介绍： Forensic Science International is the flagship journal in the prestigious Forensic Science International family, publishing the most innovative, cutting-edge, and influential contributions across the forensic sciences. Fields include: forensic pathology and histochemistry, chemistry, biochemistry and toxicology, biology, serology, odontology, psychiatry, anthropology, digital forensics, the physical sciences, firearms, and document examination, as well as investigations of value to public health in its broadest sense, and the important marginal area where science and medicine interact with the law. The journal publishes: Case Reports Commentaries Letters to the Editor Original Research Papers (Regular Papers) Rapid Communications Review Articles Technical Notes.