Application of research in the field of forensic entomology for determining the time of death in dogs

Abstract

Precisely determined time of death is one of the most important pieces of information obtained during a post-mortem investigation. There are several traditional methods for determining time of death, the most important of which are evaluation of early post-mortem changes, such as the change in body temperature. The study was aimed at identifying insects collected from the body and establishing the time of death by observing the developmental cycle of the indicator species Calliphora vicina. The material for the main experiment was the carcass of a dog. The length of the developmental cycles of insects depends on ambient conditions, so studies should take as many criteria as possible into account. Succession of arthropods, as well as the species composition and indicator insects of particular stages of decomposition, is very similar in human and animal carcasses. The results obtained were considered with respect to the time that had passed since the death of the animal. Experiments on dog carcasses may in the future contribute to the development of research enabling determination of the time of death of animals, which is a subject of increasing interest in forensic veterinary medicine....