Species Of Forensic Importance Research Articles

Method of laboratory rearing of flies Hemilucilia segmentaria (Fabricius, 1805) and Hemilucilia semidiaphana (Rondani, 1850) for therapeutic purposes

The blowflies Hemilucilia segmentaria and Hemilucilia semidiaphana are species of forensic importance and, as a scavengers, they have potential in Larval Therapy (LT). LT consists of sterile fly larvae to treat lesions with necrotic tissue. It is an descriptive exploratory laboratory and field study, which aims to describe the methods of rearing flies under laboratory conditions for therapeutic purposes. The staging period from egg to adult was 10.1 days for H. semidiaphana and 12.2 days for H. segmentaria. Considering that they are neotropical species, they need a room temperature ranging from 27 to 29 Cº, humidity of 80± 10% and a light/dark cycle of 12 hours were adopted. The larvae were feeded with ground beef in room temperature and the adult diet varied according to the purpose of rearing. In the egg sterilization process for LT, the most accessible solution, which achieved the highest egg hatching rate, was 1% sodium hypochlorite. The aim of study is to use the larvae to treat injuries. The breeding methods can be use any scientific purposes that require evaluating these species.

Examination of Nocturnal Oviposition by Chrysomya putoria (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Brazil.

This is the first study in Brazil that monitored the nocturnal oviposition behavior of Chrysomya putoria, a species of forensic importance, in order to verify if individuals of this species oviposit at night. Groups of 10 flies (5 male and 5 female) distributed in ten cages were kept in a fume hood and submitted to total darkness or exposed to artificial light for eleven consecutive hours through four experimental conditions in the laboratory. Two verifications were made to see if the females oviposited in the offered substrate of about 20 g of chicken gizzard per cage. Verification 1 occurred at 09:00 pm in the evening experiments and at 09:00 am in the daytime experiments. Verification 2 occurred at 05:00 am in the night experiments and at 05:00 pm in the daytime experiments. Each experiment lasted 5 d. C. putoria laid eggs at night (with or without light) and the quantity of eggs was significantly similar to those produced during the day under natural light or in total darkness. Only the amount of eggs produced during the day in the absence of light was considerably greater than in the typical daytime period. The females oviposited in greater quantity in the nights when the average temperature was between 23 and 24.8°C and relative humidity above 81%. Ovipositions only occurred at temperatures above 21°C and humidity above 56% during the day. Finally, it is necessary that more evaluations on the effect of variables on blowfly behavior are performed to better understand nocturnal oviposition.

A preliminary list of beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) of forensic importance from Peru

A preliminary list of beetles of forensic importance from Peru is presented, based on bibliographic revision. As a result, eight families, 31 genera, and 94 species are reported. According to their frequency in studies reviewed or number of species of forensic importance in each of them, families and genera that deserve special attention in Peru are Cleridae (Necrobia Olivier), Dermestidae (Dermestes Linnaeus), Histeridae (Hister Linnaeus, Euspilotus Lewis, Saprinus Erichson, Xerosaprinus Wenzel), Silphidae (Oxelytrum Gistel), Staphylinidae (Creophilus Leach, Philonthus Curtis) and Trogidae (Omorgus Erichson, Polynoncus Burmeister). These findings are discussed taking into account the available evidence from the Neotropical region.

Efeitos do extrato aquoso de Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa sobre o desenvolvimento de larvas de Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819) (Calliphoridae: Diptera)

Plantas do gênero Ipomoea são conhecidas por ocasionarem intoxicações letais a animais de produção. Porém, pouco se sabe sobre os efeitos de suas toxinas em invertebrados de importância médico-veterinária e forense. Esta pesquisa visou analisar o efeito do extrato aquoso em diferentes concentrações de Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa sobre o tempo de desenvolvimento larval e corporal de imaturos de Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819), uma espécie de importância forense no Brasil. Larvas L1 de C. albiceps foram submetidas a três tratamentos: controle (apenas carne moída), 40 mL (40 mL de extrato de I. carnea subsp. fistulosa para 80 g de carne moída) e 80 mL (80 mL de extrato de I. carnea subsp. fistulosa para 80 g de carne moída). Os tempos de desenvolvimento larval até a fase de pupa foram estatisticamente maiores nos tratamentos de 40 e 80 mL, respectivamente, em relação ao controle. Foi observada também diferença significativa no comprimento total das larvas do controle com os demais tratamentos. Os resultados indicam que o contato com as toxinas presentes em I. carnea subsp. fistulosa retarda o desenvolvimento de larvas de C. albiceps.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Aldrichina grahami, a forensically important blowfly.

BackgroundBlowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are the most commonly found entomological evidence in forensic investigations. Distinguished from other blowflies, Aldrichina grahami has some unique biological characteristics and is a species of forensic importance. Its development rate, pattern, and life cycle can provide valuable information for the estimation of the minimum postmortem interval.FindingsHerein we provide a chromosome-level genome assembly of A. grahami that was generated by Pacific BioSciences sequencing platform and chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) technology. A total of 50.15 Gb clean reads of the A. grahami genome were generated. FALCON and Wtdbg were used to construct the genome of A. grahami, resulting in an assembly of 600 Mb and 1,604 contigs with an N50 size of 1.93 Mb. We predicted 12,823 protein-coding genes, 99.8% of which was functionally annotated on the basis of the de novo genome (SRA: PRJNA513084) and transcriptome (SRA: SRX5207346) of A. grahami. According to the co-analysis with 11 other insect species, clustering and phylogenetic reconstruction of gene families were performed. Using Hi-C sequencing, a chromosome-level assembly of 6 chromosomes was generated with scaffold N50 of 104.7 Mb. Of these scaffolds, 96.4% were anchored to the total A. grahami genome contig bases.ConclusionsThe present study provides a robust genome reference for A. grahami that supplements vital genetic information for nonhuman forensic genomics and facilitates the future research of A. grahami and other necrophagous blowfly species used in forensic medicine.

Complete mitochondrial genomes from three species of the genus Peckia (Sarcophagidae) with forensic entomology interest

Peckia is one of the most important genera in the Sarcophagidae family of flesh flies. This genus is distributed in Brazil and Latin America, and its species can be used to estimate the Post Mortem Interval (PMI) in forensic investigations. In this communication, we present four mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) from three Peckia species: P. australis, P. collusor, and P. resona. These mtDNA range from 15,116 bp to 15,234 bp in length and have 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes (PCG), and two rRNAs distributed along both the strands. These data expand the knowledge about the Sarcophagidae genomes and present, for the first time, four complete mtDNA sequences of the Peckia genus. We show novel complete mtDNA sequences of flesh fly species of forensic importance. Our data expand the knowledge on the molecular database for the identification of these species, and is an important step towards increasing the databases and can help on the identification of new species, particularly in the forensic context.

Forensic studies of phytoplankton ecology of two water bodies of Kurukshetra area of Haryana, State in India

BackgroundIn forensic investigations of death cases in which the body has been recovered from a water body, there is an urgent need to prove whether the death is due to drowning or not. Moreover, another important issue arises, whether a person was alive at the time of drowning (anti-mortem drowning) or he was thrown dead into the water body (post-mortem drowning) To answer these questions, phytoplankton species of forensic importance from two water bodies (Braham Sarovar and Prithus Pools) were analyzed to develop the Phytoplankton maps (P-maps). The P-maps are basically a detailed list of categories of species which are common, site-specific, rare and seasonally occurring phytoplanktons along with their photomicrographs.MethodsIn the present study, water samples have been collected from Braham Sarovar and Prithus Pools situated at Kurukshetra area of Haryana state, India. The phytoplankton species present in both ponds were extracted by mild acid digestion (5% HCl). The physico-chemical properties of these water bodies such as pH, water temperature, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, hardness, alkalinity, calcium, sodium, potassium, and chloride ions have been recorded to establish a correlation with the distribution of phytoplankton using principal component analysis.ResultsTotal 138 species of 59 genera of phytoplanktons belonging to Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Euglenophyceae and Dinophyceae have been observed. In Braham Sarovar, Cylindrospermum sp., Epithemia turgida, Eunotia rhomboidea, and Westella botryoides were the site-specific phytoplanktons whereas in Prithus pool, the site specific phytoplanktons were Leptolynbya granulifera, Arthospira jenerii, Cymbella cymbiformis, Frustulia vulgaris.ConclusionIt is hoped that results/data obtained from the present study (P-maps) may go a long way in solving the mysteries related to the deaths due to drowning and can be usefully used as a reference data for determining the exact site of drowning.

The Effect of Burned Liver on the Length, Weight and Development of Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae) – A Preliminary Assessment and Implications in Forensic Entomology

Development of insects in laboratory for minimum post mortem interval estimation (mPMI) or time of colonisation (TOC) in forensic entomology can be affected by the type and quality of food consumed during larval period. Since mPMI estimation also involves analysis of larval specimens collected from burned human remains, it is important to study if burned tissues could affect growth of sarcosaprophagous larvae. This study investigated the effect of burned tissues on the size and developmental period of Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae), a species of forensic importance. Development of M. scalaris on 75 g burned cow’s liver was compared with control liver in three study replicates. Mean larval length (2.87 ± 0.11 mm) and weight (0.81 ± 0.08 mg) of M. scalaris larvae in burned liver diets were significantly lower than larval length (5.03 ± 0.15 mm) and weight (2.85 ± 0.21 mg) of control liver diets (p < 0.001) whilst mean pupal length (2.53 ± 0.06 mm) and weight (0.92 ± 0.06 mg) in burned liver diets were significantly lower than pupal length (3.52 ± 0.06 mm) and weight (2.84 ± 0.16 mg) in control liver diets (p < 0.001). Development of larvae in burned liver was 5-9 hours slower than those feeding on control liver based on single observation. Although the assessment is preliminary, the findings indicate physical growth of larvae feeding on burned animal tissues was affected and entomological specimens recovered from burned remains should be evaluated carefully to avoid errors in mPMI/TOC estimation. Limitations and suggestions for further research are also presented herein. DOI : http://dx.doi.org./10.17576/JSKM-2018-1601-04

Saprinus planiusculus (Motschulsky\u201a 1849) (Coleoptera: Histeridae), a beetle species of forensic importance in Khuzetan Province, Iran

BackgroundMedico legal forensic entomology is the science and study of cadaveric arthropods related to criminal investigations. The study of beetles is particularly important in forensic cases. This can be important in determining the time of death and also obtain qualitative information about the location of the crime. The aim of this study was to introduce the Saprinus planiusculus on a rat carrion as a beetle species of forensic importance in Khuzestan province.MethodsThis study was carried out using a laboratory bred rat (Wistar rat) as a model for human decomposition. The rat was killed by contusion and placed in a location adjacent to the Karun River. Observations and collections of beetles were made daily during May to July 2015.ResultsDecomposition time for rat carrion lasted 38 days and S. planiusculus was seen in the fresh to post decay stages of body decomposition and the largest number of this species caught in the decay stage.ConclusionThe species of beetle found in this case could be used in forensic investigations, particularly during the warm season in the future.

A Molecular Tool for Identification of Dipteran Species of Forensic Importance

When a corpse is found, typical questions of medico-criminal entomology involve: death time estimation or post-mortem interval determination and less frequently, the causes and place where death occurred. Entomological succession represents a powerful tool to calculate or deduce these parameters or questions. Sequences of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene from nine species of Diptera of forensic importance registered in GenBank were used in this study. Sequences were aligned and a consensus sequence deduced for each species. A pair of oligonucleotides was designed in high conserve regions that allowed theoretical and simultaneous the co-amplification of the nine species and within this segment we used restriction enzymes (Eco57MI and BscAI) that generate different electrophoretic patterns for each species. Tentatively, with the same pair of oligonucleotides, it is possible to amplify a segment of the COI gene of nine insects of forensic importance and using a simple combination of restriction enzymes, be able to identify them. It is a technique that can be used in any laboratory with basic equipment and is an economically affordable alternative.

Structural and Genetic Investigation of the Egg and First-Instar Larva of an Egg-Laying Population of Blaesoxipha plinthopyga (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), a Species of Forensic Importance.

Flies in the family Sarcophagidae incubate their eggs and are known to be ovoviviparous (i.e., ovolarviparous), but a laboratory-maintained colony of Blaesoxipha plinthopyga (Wiedemann) deposited clutches of viable eggs over 10 generations. A description of the egg and first-instar larva of this species is provided along with genetic data (genome size and cytochrome oxidase I sequences). The egg is similar to previously described eggs of other Sarcophagidae but differs in the configuration of the micropyle. In the first-instar larva, the oral ridges are much more developed than has been described for other species. B. plinthopyga has forensic importance, and the present descriptive information is critical for proper case management.

Preliminary study and Identification of insects’ species of forensic importance in Urmia, Iran

The proper identification of the insect and arthropod species of forensic importance is the most crucial element in the field of forensic entomology. The main objective in this study was the identification of insects’ species of forensic importance in Urmia (37°, 33
N. and 45°, 4
, 45 E.) and establishment of a preliminary data-base for forensic entomology purposes in Iran for the first time. A combination of various body viscera and tissues of some of vertebrates (sheep, cow, fish and hen), such as head, paunch, spleen, intestine, derma and liver was exposed in an open land on the private possession for 53 days. Ambient daily temperature (maximum and minimum) and relative humidity values were recorded; and existing keys were used for identification of different species. During the period of study, rainfall was none; average total temperature was 23.77°C; and average of mean RH or average total RH was 46.41%. Five stages of decomposition were recognized. A total of 3179 individuals were collected; belonging to 5 orders (Diptra, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Dermaptera and Blattaria), 11 families, 16 genera and 18 species: Psychoda sp, (Dip. Psychodidae), Calliphora vicina (Dip. Calliphoridae), Calliphora vomitoria (Dip. Calliphoridae), Lucilia sericata (Dip. Calliphoridae), Chrysoma sp. (Dip.Calliphoridae), Musca domestica (Dip. Muscidae), Muscina stabulans (Dip. Muscidae), Fannia canicularis (Dip. Fannidae), Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis (Dip. Sarcophagidae), Sarcophaga sp. (Dip.Sarcophagidae), Wohlfartia magnifica (Dip. Sarcophagidae), Dermestes maculates (Col. Dermestidae), Necrophorus sp.(Col.Silphidae), Blatta orientalis (Blattaria . Blattidae), Vespula germanica (Hym.Vespidae), Messor caducus (Hym. Formicidae), Cataglyphis sp. (Hym. Formicidae) and Forficula auricularia (Dermaptera. Forficulidae). The species of Psychoda sp, (Dip. Psychodidae), M. caducus, Cataglyphis sp. (Hym. Formicidae) and F. auricularia (Dermaptera. Forficulidae) are seldomly reported in previous researches; and they were heavily focused to tissues of animals in these studies.

Morphology of immature stages of Hemipyrellia ligurriens (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) for use in forensic entomology applications

In forensic investigations, all immature stages of flies (egg, larvae, and puparium) can serve as entomological evidence at death scenes. These insects are primarily used to estimate the post mortem interval (PMI), but can also be involved in the analysis of toxic substances, determining manner of death, and in indicating relocation of a corpse in homicide cases. In this study, we present the morphology of the egg, larvae, and puparium of Hemipyrellia ligurriens, a blow fly species of forensic importance in Thailand. Examination was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The egg stage was found to display a relatively wide plastron region (or median hatch line area) that spans almost the entire length of the egg. The median hatch line is oriented in an upright position. External chorionic sculpture of the egg is present in a hexagonal pattern whose reticular boundaries are slightly elevated. In the larval stages, the most prominent morphological changes were detected upon comparison of the first to the second instar; whereas, the differences between second and third instar larvae were less obvious outside of the increase in number of posterior spiracular slits. Most of the major differences involve body size and structure of the anterior and posterior spiracles. Each anterior spiracle in both the second and third instars projects five to seven papillae apically. Each posterior spiracular disc of a third instar exhibits a complete peritreme, three spiracular slits, and a prominent button that is ventromedially located. The puparium is coarctate and features a clustered bubble membrane comprised of approximately 57 mammillate structures positioned dorsolaterally on each side of the first abdominal segment in young puparia. This feature is replaced by short, tubular respiratory horns in aged puparia. This study provides more detailed exposure of important morphological features that can be used for accurate identification of immature stages of H. ligurriens. Information presented can aid in forensic investigations involving this fly species.

Ultrastructure of eggshell of Chrysomya nigripes Aubertin (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

We examined the eggshell structure of the blowfly, Chrysomya nigripes Aubertin, a species of forensic importance, using scanning electron microscopy. A relatively wide plastron region was located dorsally. It extended almost the entire length of the egg and bifurcated slightly, close to the micropyle, which is a deep cavity surrounded by an elevated, fine, wavy rim. The chorionic sculpture had an hexagonal pattern, with a smooth and elevated boundary. The ruptured eggshell showed the outermost exochorion, membranous outer endochorion and pillar layer, which also had an hexagonal pattern on a perforated mesh pillar layer. This study provides a greater database on the egg of this forensically significant blowfly.

Genetic relationships between blowflies (Calliphoridae) of forensic importance

Phylogenetic relationships among blowfly (Calliphoridae) species of forensic importance are explored using DNA sequence data from the large sub-unit (lsu, 28S) ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene, the study includes representatives of a range of calliphorid species commonly encountered in forensic analysis in Britain and Europe. The data presented provide a basis to define molecular markers, including the identification of highly informative intra-sequence regions, which may be of use in the identification of larvae for forensic entomology. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences also provides new insights into the different evolutionary patterns apparent within the family Calliphoridae which, additionally, can provide a measure of the degree of genetic variation likely to be encountered within taxonomic groups of differing forensic utility.