Dipterans associated with a decomposing animal carcass in a rainforest fragment in Brazil: notes on the early arrival and colonization by necrophagous species (original) (raw)
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Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Carrion provides a multifaceted model to investigate basic and applied aspects of insect ecology and behavior. In this study, we analyzed differences in the attractiveness and suitability of vertebrate carcasses to sarcosaprophagous species of Diptera (Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, and Fanniidae). Carcasses of fish and rat were used as substrates in a fragment of rainforest in Northeastern Brazil. The diversity of adults that visited the carcass was compared with the diversity of species that effectively used them as substrates for the development of larvae (colonizers). All insects were collected daily until complete skeletonization of the carcasses. Insects of at least 31 species were attracted to the carcasses, of which Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819) and Chrysomya megacephala (F., 1794) were the most abundant. Only nine species effectively colonized the substrates, as evidenced by the emergence of colonizers. Most species did not discriminate between the carcass as visiting adults and as colonizers. A higher species richness and abundance of dipterans occurred in the intermediate stages of decomposition. The exotic Chrysomya species outcompeted native species in terms of abundance and dominance on both carcasses. Although Calliphoridae dominated the assemblage of visitors, species of Fanniidae were, proportionally, the most effective colonizers, when abundance was taken into account. Blow flies emerged earlier than species of Fanniidae and Sarcophagidae, which completed their development 19 d postcollection. The results contribute to understand the dynamics of carrion colonization and provide further evidences on the potential of necrophagous insects for forensic entomology.
Necrophagous diptera associated with wild animal carcasses in southern Brazil
Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, 2014
Wild animal carcasses do not remain exposed to the environment for a long time because they are rapidly decomposed. Decomposition is a natural process that is important for ecosystem nutrient cycling (Hanski 1987). Among organisms that contribute to the biomass cycle, the order Diptera is highly important because it is the first to reach carcasses, where the adult stage will feed and oviposit minutes after an animal's death. In addition, the immature stages of many species use carcasses as a development site (Smith 1986). These biological characteristics make necrophagous Diptera important in applied sciences because they are vectors of pathogens that may cause myiasis and are useful in forensic entomology. Furthermore, knowledge of the ecological dynamics of necrophagous communities is very important to establish the role of necrophagous species in animal resources (
Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 2021
Cities in northeastern Brazil experience extreme rates of unsolved homicides, a situation that stimulates innovative procedures in the police work, such as forensic entomology. We surveyed necrophagous insects associated with carrion in a city exposed to high rates of homicides in Northeastern Brazil. The experiments were carried out in a rainforest fragment located in Recife, State of Pernambuco. Two pig carcasses were used as models, one in the dry and the other in the rainy season. The collection of adults was performed daily until the complete skeletonization of the carcasses. At least 32 Diptera species from the families Calliphoridae, Muscidae, Sarcophagidae, Fanniidae, Phoridae, Anthomyiidae, Piophilidae, and Stratiomyidae were registered, some of which have been previously documented on cadavers. A high richness of Diptera species was registered in all stages of decomposition. A strong overlap in the occurrence of most species was observed, which invalidates a defined entomo...
Rate of development of forensically-important Diptera in southern Brazil
Revista Brasileira de …, 2010
Rate of development of forensically-important Diptera in southern Brazil. Dipteran larvae were collected from rabbit (Oryctolagus cunniculus L.) carcasses during the four seasons in 2005 in the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The larvae were fed ground beef at ambient temperatures following collection from carcasses. The development of each species under these conditions was estimated. The most abundant species in the carcasses were Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann) and Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Calliphoridae), and they were found in all seasons. The data were fitted to a linear model that describes the relationship between temperature and linear developmental rating. These two species are primary forensic indicators in southern Brazil. Other species such as Hemilucilia semidiaphana (Rondani) (Calliphoridae), Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp), Muscina stabulans (Fallen) (Muscidae), and Fannia pusio (Wiedemann) (Fanniidae) were forensically less important because they only occurred in high frequency in certain seasons and during the first days of carcass decomposition.
Diptera survey in human corpses in the north of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Acta Biológica Catarinense
Aiming to verify the species associated with the decomposition process carried out by necrophagous insects in human bodies, 11 species of dipterans were collected in 10 distinct cadavers from April 2014 to March 2016, resulting in individuals of the families Calliphoridae (Calliphora lopesi (Mello, 1962), Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794), Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819), Hemilucilia segmentaria (Fabricius, 1805), Hemilucilia semidiaphana (Rondani, 1850), Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830) and Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann, 1819)), Sarcophagidae (Peckia (Euboettcheria) australis (Fabricius, 1805) and Peckia (Sarcodexia) lambens (Wiedemann, 1830)), Muscidae (Muscidae sp.) and Stratiomyidae (Hermetia illucens (L. 1758)). Regarding the seasonality, dipterans were found in corpses in the four seasons, with distinct richness in each one. Dipterans were observed in corpses in all phases of decomposition (coloration, gaseous, colliquative and remains), the greater richness being veri...
Medical and …, 2010
Data on the insect species associated with corpse decomposition are particularly important for estimation of the post-mortem interval (PMI) in forensic science because the PMI is based on the lifecycle and behaviour of necrophagous insects, among other measures. To determine the dipteran succession on pig carrion, four experiments, one in each season, were carried out during 2004 in a rural area of Córdoba, central Argentina. Two pigs (Sus scrofa L.) were used in each of the four experiments. At each time-point one pig was placed in the shade and the other under direct sunlight. Insects were collected daily during the first 4 weeks and thereafter every 2 or 3 days. Five stages of decomposition were observed and a total of 24 710 adult specimens were collected, belonging to the following eight families of Diptera: Calliphoridae; Muscidae; Sarcophagidae; Phoridae; Piophilidae; Fanniidae; Sphaeroceridae, and Anthomyiidae. All Calliphoridae collected in this study were considered to be of potential forensic importance because of their necrophagous behaviour and because their immature stages use carrion as a food source. Other species, such as Musca domestica L. and Ophyra aenescens (Wiedemann), were also considered to represent potential forensic indicators.
EntomoBrasilis, 2013
One of the must forensic importance insect families is Calliphoridae (Diptera) and different species of this family were used to demonstrate the efficiency of the experimental model used in this study. The experiments were performed with domestic pig models (approximately 60 kg) in Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve (Manaus, Amazonas). To minimize the effect of repeated samplings in the same model (a result of pseudoreplication), two models were used to answer two questions: 1) What is the species composition and temporal distribution of Calliphoridae adults? 2) What is the species composition and temporal distribution of Calliphoridae that effectively colonized the carcass? Six pseudoreplicates were studied in three periods: from 06/30/2005 to 07/30/2005 (less rainy season), from 10/18/2005 to 11/17/2005 (transition period between the two seasons) and from 03/15/2006 to 04/14/2006 (rainy season). The immatures and adults collected were identified as forensic indicators. The decomposition process presented five stages (fresh, bloated, decay, adipocere-like and skeletonization). The first four days included the first three stages of decomposition and were the most attractive to the Calliphoridae. The three taxa that were most abundant, regular and with highest peaks in the first four samples of each experiment were, in ascending order: Hemilucilia semidiaphana (Rondani), Hemilucilia segmentaria (Fabricius) e Paralucilia spp.. Linear regressions showed low values of F and high values of P, indicating that rain did not influence the sampling results.
Seasonal Abundance and Distribution of Necrophagous Diptera in Western São Paulo State, Brazil
The diversity and abundance of necrophagous Diptera were investigated in urban, farm and wild areas in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil, from March 2003 through February 2004, in order to evaluate the current distribution and abundance of flies important in a forensic context. Members of the family Sarcophagidae were most abundant, followed by Drosophilidae, Calliphoridae and Phoridae. Members of Muscidae were least abundant. Flies were more abundant in spring and summer than in fall and winter. Members of Sarcophagidae, Calliphoridae and Phoridae were most abundant in urban areas. Chrysomya albiceps was the most abundant calliphorid species, followed by Lucilia eximia, Chrysomya megacephala, Cochliomyia macellaria and Lucilia cuprina. The implications of these results for the necrophagous fauna structure are discussed.
Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 2010
Brazilian studies involving entomological succession patterns in carcasses have been used to describe the necrophagous entomofauna of a determined municipality or region with forensic objectives. Following the same objectives, an ecological study with 10 calyptrate dipterans was carried out during the winter of 2007 and the summer of 2008 in the metropolitan region of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. The aim of this study was to describe several aspects of the phenology of these species in three neighbouring areas. Carcasses of three domestic pigs (Sus scrofa L.) were used in each season as models for forensic and legal medicine investigations in the region. Temperature, relative humidity and rainfall were measured daily and their relations with population abundance of the colonising species and the decomposition stages were analysed. Ten fly species were recorded to be colonising the carcasses, five of which belonged to the Calliphoridae family, three to the Muscidae, one to the Fanniidae and one to the Sarcophagidae family. Data show preferences of these species for climatic season and decomposition stage, as well as for the studied area and suggest that short distances can significantly influence the abundance of some species.