Use of Necrophagous Insects As Evidence of Cadaver Relocation: Myth or Reality?

Overview

Journal PeerJ

Specialties Biology
Environmental Health
General Medicine

Date 2017 Aug 9

PMID 28785513

Citations 14

Authors

Damien Charabidze

Matthias Gosselin

Valery Hedouin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The use of insects as indicators of post-mortem displacement is discussed in many texts, courses and TV shows, and several studies addressing this issue have been published. Although the concept is widely cited, it is poorly understood, and only a few forensic cases have successfully applied such a method. The use of necrophagous insects as evidence of cadaver relocation actually involves a wide range of biological aspects. Distribution, microhabitat, phenology, behavioral ecology, and molecular analysis are among the research areas associated with this topic. This article provides the first review of the current knowledge and addresses the potential and limitations of different methods to evaluate their applicability. This work reveals numerous weaknesses and erroneous beliefs as well as many possibilities and research opportunities.

Citing Articles

Forensic entomology in homicide cases: study of a corpse found inside a buried vehicle.

Pereira A, Breglia G, Uzal M Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2024; .

PMID: 39230841 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-024-00889-2.

Identification of Diptera Puparia in Forensic and Archeo-Funerary Contexts.

Vanin S, Tuccia F, Pradelli J, Carta G, Giordani G Insects. 2024; 15(8).

PMID: 39194804 PMC: 11354564. DOI: 10.3390/insects15080599.

A Summary of Concepts, Procedures and Techniques Used by Forensic Entomologists and Proxies.

Bambaradeniya T, Magni P, Dadour I Insects. 2023; 14(6).

PMID: 37367352 PMC: 10299380. DOI: 10.3390/insects14060536.

Diet Impact on the Development and Survival of Oiceoptoma thoracicum (Coleoptera: Silphidae).

Qubaiova J, Jakubec P, Montoya-Molina S, Novak M, Sulakova H J Med Entomol. 2022; 59(6):1905-1910.

PMID: 36073525 PMC: 9667723. DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac129.

Temperature models of development for Necrodes littoralis L. (Coleoptera: Silphidae), a carrion beetle of forensic importance in the Palearctic region.

Gruszka J, Matuszewski S Sci Rep. 2022; 12(1):9689.

PMID: 35690667 PMC: 9188545. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13901-y.

References

Zehner R, Amendt J, Schutt S, Sauer J, Krettek R, Povolny D . Genetic identification of forensically important flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). Int J Legal Med. 2004; 118(4):245-7. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-004-0445-4. View

Harvey M, Mansell M, Villet M, Dadour I . Molecular identification of some forensically important blowflies of southern Africa and Australia. Med Vet Entomol. 2003; 17(4):363-9. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2003.00452.x. View

Szpila K, Voss J, Pape T . A new dipteran forensic indicator in buried bodies. Med Vet Entomol. 2010; 24(3):278-83. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2010.00883.x. View

Byrne A, Camann M, Cyr T, CATTS E, Espelie K . Forensic implications of biochemical differences among geographic populations of the black blow fly, Phormia regina (Meigen). J Forensic Sci. 1995; 40(3):372-7. View

Archer M . Comparative analysis of insect succession data from Victoria (Australia) using summary statistics versus preceding mean ambient temperature models. J Forensic Sci. 2014; 59(2):404-12. DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.12345. View

Wooldridge J, Scrase L, Wall R . Flight activity of the blowflies, Calliphora vomitoria and Lucilia sericata, in the dark. Forensic Sci Int. 2007; 172(2-3):94-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.12.011. View

Charabidze D, Depeme A, Devigne C, Hedouin V . Do necrophagous blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) lay their eggs in wounds?: Experimental data and implications for forensic entomology. Forensic Sci Int. 2015; 253:71-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2015.05.025. View

Pechal J, Moore H, Drijfhout F, Benbow M . Hydrocarbon profiles throughout adult Calliphoridae aging: A promising tool for forensic entomology. Forensic Sci Int. 2014; 245:65-71. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.10.019. View

Picard C, Wells J . Survey of the genetic diversity of Phormia regina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) using amplified fragment length polymorphisms. J Med Entomol. 2009; 46(3):664-70. DOI: 10.1603/033.046.0334. View

10.

Zabala J, Diaz B, Salona-Bordas M . Seasonal blowfly distribution and abundance in fragmented landscapes. Is it useful in forensic inference about where a corpse has been decaying?. PLoS One. 2014; 9(6):e99668. PMC: 4053378. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099668. View

11.

Martin-Vega D, Gomez-Gomez A, Baz A . The "coffin fly"Conicera tibialis (Diptera: Phoridae) breeding on buried human remains after a postmortem interval of 18 years. J Forensic Sci. 2011; 56(6):1654-6. DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01839.x. View

12.

Isiche J, Hillerton J, Nowell F . Colonization of the mouse cadaver by flies in southern England. Med Vet Entomol. 1992; 6(2):168-70. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.1992.tb00597.x. View

13.

de Lourdes Chavez-Briones M, Hernandez-Cortes R, Diaz-Torres P, Niderhauser-Garcia A, Ancer-Rodriguez J, Jaramillo-Rangel G . Identification of human remains by DNA analysis of the gastrointestinal contents of fly larvae. J Forensic Sci. 2012; 58(1):248-50. DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02279.x. View

14.

Parry N, Mansell M, Weldon C . Seasonal, Locality, and Habitat Variation in Assemblages of Carrion-Associated Diptera in Gauteng Province, South Africa. J Med Entomol. 2016; 53(6):1322-1329. DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjw104. View

15.

Archer M, Wallman J . Context Effects in Forensic Entomology and Use of Sequential Unmasking in Casework. J Forensic Sci. 2016; 61(5):1270-7. DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13139. View

16.

Wells J, Sperling F . DNA-based identification of forensically important Chrysomyinae (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Forensic Sci Int. 2001; 120(1-2):110-5. DOI: 10.1016/s0379-0738(01)00414-5. View

17.

Meiklejohn K, Wallman J, Dowton M . DNA barcoding identifies all immature life stages of a forensically important flesh fly (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). J Forensic Sci. 2013; 58(1):184-7. DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02220.x. View

18.

Matuszewski S, Szafalowicz M, Jarmusz M . Insects colonising carcasses in open and forest habitats of Central Europe: search for indicators of corpse relocation. Forensic Sci Int. 2013; 231(1-3):234-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.05.018. View

19.

Lewis A, Benbow M . When entomological evidence crawls away: Phormia regina en masse larval dispersal. J Med Entomol. 2012; 48(6):1112-9. DOI: 10.1603/me11093. View

20.

NUORTEVA P . DIFFERENCES IN THE ECOLOGY OF LUCILIA CAESAR (L.) AND LUCILIA ILLUSTRIS (MEIG.) (DIPTERA, CALLPHORIDAE) IN FINLAND. Wiad Parazytol. 1964; 10:583-7. View