Insect succession patterns on pig carrion in southern Nigeria.

IF 1.5 4区 医学 Q2 MEDICINE, LEGAL
Izuchukwu Stanley Etoniru, Desiré Brits, Jolandie Myburgh, Maryna Steyn, Lawrence Hill
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Abstract

Purpose: In analyzing decomposing human remains in cases of unattended death, observing insect succession patterns to aid in estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI) based on carrion insects is one of the tasks of the forensic entomologist. The purpose of this study is to provide baseline data in order to improve PMI estimates using carrion insects. The lingering armed conflict in Nigeria creates a situation where unidentified human remains overwhelm law enforcement agencies. A common challenge is the lack of affordable, easy-to-use, and locally derived methods. This study aims to describe the succession patterns of arthropods, including insects, in pig carcasses in the wet and dry seasons in southern Nigeria as a baseline to aid in PMI estimation. Arthropods were observed and collected (all life cycle stages) in a total of 20 freshly-killed pigs (10 pigs for each season) which were deployed to study sites within 3 h of humane killing and at various times during the two seasons over 14 months. The time of appearance, activity, and disappearance of the arthropods were noted and related to the stages of decomposition to create succession patterns. Three classes, six orders, and 16 families of arthropods were collected. Musca domestica was the first to arrive, followed by Chrysomya marginalis, visiting within 10 min after placement. An ant species (Family Formicidae) had the widest presence through decomposition stages. There was an increase in the absolute number and species richness of arthropods in the wet season. Some arthropods, like the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), were exclusively present in the wet season. The observed succession patterns can be used as a reference for forensic scientists to aid in PMI assessment in Nigeria. Arthropods found exclusively in a season could be used to establish the season of death.

尼日利亚南部猪腐肉上的昆虫演替模式。
目的:在分析无人看管的腐尸案件中,观察昆虫演替模式以帮助估计腐尸间隔(PMI)是法医昆虫学家的任务之一。本研究的目的是提供基线数据,以改善利用腐肉昆虫的PMI估计。尼日利亚持续不断的武装冲突造成了一种情况,即身份不明的遗体压倒了执法机构。一个常见的挑战是缺乏负担得起的、易于使用的和本地派生的方法。本研究旨在描述尼日利亚南部湿季和旱季猪尸体中节肢动物(包括昆虫)的演替模式,作为帮助估算PMI的基线。在总共20头刚宰杀的猪(每个季节10头)中观察和收集节肢动物(所有生命周期阶段),这些猪在人道宰杀后3小时内以及在14个月内两个季节的不同时间被部署到研究地点。节肢动物出现、活动和消失的时间被记录下来,并与分解的阶段相关联,以创建演替模式。共发现节肢动物3纲6目16科。家蝇是最先到达的,其次是边缘金蝇,在放置后10分钟内到达。一种蚂蚁(蚁科)在分解阶段的存在范围最广。节肢动物的绝对数量和种类丰富度在丰水期呈上升趋势。一些节肢动物,如黑兵蝇(Hermetia illucens),只在雨季出现。观察到的演替模式可作为法医科学家协助尼日利亚PMI评估的参考。节肢动物只在一个季节中发现,可以用来确定死亡季节。
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, Medicine and Pathology
Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology MEDICINE, LEGAL-PATHOLOGY
CiteScore
3.90
自引率
5.60%
发文量
114
审稿时长
6-12 weeks
期刊介绍: Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology encompasses all aspects of modern day forensics, equally applying to children or adults, either living or the deceased. This includes forensic science, medicine, nursing, and pathology, as well as toxicology, human identification, mass disasters/mass war graves, profiling, imaging, policing, wound assessment, sexual assault, anthropology, archeology, forensic search, entomology, botany, biology, veterinary pathology, and DNA. Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology presents a balance of forensic research and reviews from around the world to reflect modern advances through peer-reviewed papers, short communications, meeting proceedings and case reports.
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