Insect Fauna and Degradation Activity of Thanatophilus species on Carrion in Southern Italy (Coleoptera: Silphidae)

Abstract

Necrophagous insects (Diptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera) can colonize the decomposing corps and everyone play an important ecological role in forensic investigations. The aim is to identify seasonal succession of major arthropod taxa of forensic importance in a rural area in southern Italy, during winter 2008. The principal fly invaders were Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy 1830, C vomitoria (L), Lucilia caesar (L), L sericata (Meigen 1826), Sarcophaga (Meigen 1826) spp, Musca domestica (L) and Muscina stabulans (Fallen 1817). The beetle species collected in winter belonged to Silphidae (Thanatophilus rugosus and T sinuatus), Dermestidae (Dermestes maculatus (De Geer 1774), Cleridae (Necrobia rufipes (De Geer 1775), and Histeridae (Margarinotus (Ptomister) brunneus Fabricius 1775 = cadaverinus). It is well known that the successional pattern of the carrion insects is quite unique and that Diptera Calliphoridae are usually the most important necrophagous colonizers but in particular environmental conditions, other invaders can replace them. This is a report on the carrion-frequenting insects in Calabria (southern Italy). A case is described in which maggots (Diptera: Calliphoridae) were not able to consume the pig bodies during winter months. It was observed that both Silphidae species, Thanatophilus rugosus (L) and T sinuatus (Fabricius 1775), were the major vector in the breakdown of the carcasses.