Insect faunal succession on buried goat carcass in Aligarh Region of Uttar Pradesh, India, with implications in forensic entomology

Swaima Sharif,Ayesha Qamar

doi:10.1186/s41935-021-00235-5

Abstract

BackgroundStudies on the insect fauna of animal corpses, used as a vertebrate model, may help forensic investigation cases to estimate the post-mortem-interval (PMI), cause of death, and crime-scene location. Likewise, entomofauna of buried corpses can assist in determining the post-burial-interval (PBI), movement of the body or hiding of the crime. The bodies buried under the soil decompose at a slower rate than the body exposed. Also, there are fewer insects that can go underground to locate the corpse. Such types of studies on the insect fauna of buried carrion can help in forensic investigation cases. The current study aims to determine the succession of a goat carcass buried shallowly in an outdoor habitat of the Aligarh Region, North India.ResultsIn the present study, we examined a goat carcass buried at a depth of nine inches to determine the type of insects capable of colonizing buried animal carcass in the study area of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. We have found five species of Diptera, three species of Coleoptera, one Hemipteran species, and one Hymenopteran species. Adult Dipterans found during different samplings were Megaselia scalaris (Loew 1866), Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius 1794), and Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830). Dipterans’ immature stages were found to be of Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp, 1883) and Hydrotaea capensis (Wiedemann, 1830) Megaselia scalaris. Adults of Saprinus quadriguttatus (Fabricius, 1798), Saprinus splendens (Paykull, 1811), and Onthophagous quadridentatus (Fabricius, 1798) of order Coleoptera. Adult Cydnus species (Fabricius, 1803) of Hemiptera and Dorylus species (Fabricius, 1793) of Hymenoptera have also been recorded. During the sampling, the authors reported the stages of carcass disintegration and the insects associated with it.ConclusionsFlies, beetles, and ants have been recorded in association with the buried goat carcass, which may add to the knowledge of colonization of buried bodies in India and around the globe. S. nudiseta, H. capensis, and M. scalaris, which are found on the goat carrion in the current study, have also been reported on human corpses in the past. Furthermore, M. scalaris found consistently on two sampling dates beneath the ground on the goat carcass and was also seen running on the grave’s surface. In addition, authors have reported several species belonging to different order and families, corresponding to various stages of decomposition of corpse which were earlier not known from buried corpses from India. So, it is crucial and may have implications in medicolegal cases.

Highlights

Studies on the insect fauna of animal corpses, used as a vertebrate model, may help forensic investigation cases to estimate the post-mortem-interval (PMI), cause of death, and crime-scene location
Each decomposition stage is attractive to a group of arthropods, predominantly sarcosaprophagous insects such as Dipterans, Coleopterans, Hemipterans, Hymenopterans, and numerous others
The current study documented that the insects found on buried goat carcass which belong to four orders—Diptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera; seven families—Phoridae, Calliphoridae, Muscidae of Diptera, Histeridae, and Scarabaeidae of Coleoptera, Cydnidae of Hemiptera, and Formicidae of Hymenoptera

Summary

Introduction

Studies on the insect fauna of animal corpses, used as a vertebrate model, may help forensic investigation cases to estimate the post-mortem-interval (PMI), cause of death, and crime-scene location. There are fewer insects that can go underground to locate the corpse Such types of studies on the insect fauna of buried carrion can help in forensic investigation cases. The present study aims to analyze the insect succession and decomposition rate of a shallowly buried goat carcass in North Indian climatic conditions for two years. Dipterans are the first ones to arrive on dead and decaying animal or human corpses, followed by Coleopterans, Hymenopterans, and Hemipterans. Physical barriers such as soil cover or burial, body enclosed in containers/suitcases/drums, wrapped in clothing or sacs, and various others may hamper the insect activity. Shallow grave entomofauna may vary from the deep graves as some insects which can reach the thin soil cover may not locate the corpse buried deep (cited by Lundt, 1964)

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