Abstract
Forensic entomology is the field of research that applies the biology of insects to criminal investigations. This study, which used rabbits as experimental models, was carried out in Al-Riaydh, Saudi Arabia, to gather data on forensically important insects and their succession and decomposition on decaying buried carcasses at two depths during two periods: the first period lasted from January 28-May 30, 2021 (winter-spring), and the second period was from September 5, 2021, to January 4, 2022 (summer-onset winter). Decomposition was seen in three stages during the first period (bloated, decay, and drying) and two stages during the second period (decay and drying). Temperature, humidity, and depth of burial influenced the stages of carcass decomposition and abundance of insects.
Eleven species from the Diptera order, encompassing five families (Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, Phoridae, and Ulidiidae), were identified. Additionally, four species from the Coleoptera order were recorded, representing four families (Dermestidae, Tenebrionidae, Histeridae, and Nitidulidae). During the first period of the study, all species were identified at a depth of 20 cm (16 species), while, at a depth of 40 cm, nine types of them were detected. In the second period, only one species of beetle was observed at 20 cm, whereas there were only four fly species present. Furthermore, at a depth of 40 cm, only one species of fly was discovered throughout the entire period. The identified insect species can function as reliable forensic indicators, aiding in PMI estimation and enhancing the overall precision of forensic investigations. These results indicate that these insects are significant in carcass decay and therefore forensically important.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aballay FH, Flores GE, Silvestro VA, Zanetti NI, Centeno ND (2016) An illustrated key to, and diagnoses of the species of Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera) associated with decaying carcasses in Argentina. Ann Zool 66(4):703–726
Al-Mekhlafi FA (2021) Decomposition process for buried rat (Rattus norvegicus, Berkenhout 1769) carcasses in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia: a preliminary study. Saudi J Biol Sci 28:3745–3750
Al-Mekhlafi FA, Alajmi RA, Almusawi Z, Abd Al Galil FM, Kaur P, Al-Wadaan M et al (2020) A study of insect succession of forensic importance: Dipteran flies (diptera) in two different habitats of small rodents in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. J King Saud Univ Sci 32:3111–3118
Al-Qahtni AH, Al-Khalifa MS, Mashaly AM (2020) Two human cases associated with forensic insects in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Biol Sci 27:881–886
Albushabaa SHH (2016) Insect succession and decomposition of buried rabbits during two Seasons in Al Kufa City-Iraq. Res J Pharm Biol Chem Sci 7:2976–2985
Anderson GS, Vanlaerhoven SL (1996) Initial studies on insect succession on carrion in southwestern British Columbia. J Forensic Sci 41:617
Aspoas B (1994) Afrotropical Sarcophagidae in a carrion fly community Med Vet. Entomol 8:292–294
Bala M, Kaur P (2015) Entomofauna on decomposed piece of pork: study on delayed burial. J Entomol Res 39:77–84
Bonacci T, Mendicino F, Bonelli D, Carlomagno F, Curia G, Scapoli C et al (2021) Investigations on arthropods associated with decay stages of buried animals in Italy. Insects 12:311
Botham JL (2016) Decomposition and arthropod succession on buried remains during winter and summer in Central South Africa: forensic implications and predictive analyses. University of the Free State
Byrd JH, Tomberlin JK (2019) Forensic entomology: the utility of arthropods in legal investigations. CRC
Catts EP, Goff ML (1992) Forensic entomology in criminal investigations. Annu Rev Entomol 37:253–272
Corrêa R, Almeida L, Moura M (2014) Coleoptera associated with buried carrion: potential forensic importance and seasonal composition. J Med Entomol 51:1057–1066
Faraj TK, Tarawneh QY, Oroud IM (2023) The applicability of the tourism climate index in a hot arid environment: Saudi Arabia as a case study. Int J Environ Sci Te 20:3849–3860
Gaudry E (2010) The insects colonisation of buried remains. Curr Concepts Forensic Entomol, 273–311
George KA, Archer MS, Toop T (2013) Abiotic environmental factors influencing blowfly colonisation patterns in the field. Forensic Sci Int 229:100–107
Gilbert BM, Bass WM (1967) Seasonal dating of burials from the presence of fly pupae. Am Antiq 32:534–535
Haddadi R, Alajmi R, Abdel-Gaber R (2019) A comparative study of insect succession on rabbit carrion in three different microhabitats. J Med Entomol 56:671–680
Hamdy R, El-Hamouly H, Sawaby R, El-Bar A (2022) Identification of insects colonizing carrions of tramadol-intoxicated rabbits and guinea pigs in relation to seasonal variances in Cairo. Egypt Egypt j pure appl sci 60:34–61
Haskell N, Williams R (2009) Entomology, Death: A Procedural Guide.: Forensic Entomology 454 Partners. Clemenson, SC, USA, 455
Huchet J-B, Greenberg B (2010) Flies, Mochicas and burial practices: a case study from Huaca De La Luna, Peru. J Archaeol Sci 37:2846–2856
Izuma Joshua N, Aline M E (2019) Succession patterns and diversity of Arthropods Associated with decomposing domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L, 1758) in different habitats. Environ Ecol Res 7:303–312
Kekillioğlu A, Başar M (2021) Research on the ecological success role of the muscidae (Insecta: diptera) species. Eurasian J Sci Eng Technol 2:36–42
Lee Goff M (2009) Early post-mortem changes and stages of decomposition in exposed cadavers. Exp Appl Acarol 49:21–36
Leşinin OÜYSD, Bölgesinden D (2018) Assessment of Entomological remains from soil samples collected from a Pig (Sus scrofa Domestica) carcass decomposition site after 13 years. Turkiye Parazitol Derg 42:281–285
Mann RW, Bass WM, Meadows L (1990) Time since death and decomposition of the human body: variables and observations in case and experimental field studies. J Forensic Sci 35:103–111
Mariani R, García-Mancuso R, Varela G, Inda A (2014) Entomofauna of a buried body: study of the exhumation of a human cadaver in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Forensic Sci Int 237:19–26
Martinez E, Duque P, Wolff M (2007) Succession pattern of carrion-feeding insects in Paramo, Colombia. Forensic Sci Int 166:182–189
Monteiro-Filho EDA, Penereiro J (1987) Estudo De decomposição E sucessão sobre uma carcaça animal numa área do estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Rev Bras Biol 47:289–295
Özdemir S, Sert O (2009) Determination of Coleoptera fauna on carcasses in Ankara province, Turkey. Forensic Sci Int 183:24–32
Pastula E, Merritt R (2013) Insect arrival pattern and succession on buried carrion in Michigan. J Med Entomol 50:432–439
Payne JA (1965) A summer carrion study of the baby pig Sus scrofa Linnaeus. Ecology 46:592–602
Reed H Jr (1958) A study of dog carcass communities in Tennessee, with special reference to the insects. Am Midl Nat 213–245
Reibe S, Madea B (2010) Use of Megaselia scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae) for post-mortem interval estimation indoors. Parasitol Res 106:637–640
Rodriguez WC, Bass WM (1985) Decomposition of buried bodies and methods that may aid in their location. J Forensic Sci 30:836–852
Santos W, Alves A, Creão-Duarte A (2014) Beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera) associated with pig carcasses exposed in a Caatinga area, Northeastern Brazil. Braz J Biol 74:649–655
Sawaby R, Abd El-Bar M, El-Bermawy S (2009) Biochemical studies of two forensically important insects in Egypt which had colonized rabbit carrions treated with organophosphorus compound. Egypt Acad J Biolog Sci 1:5–11
Schotsmans EM, Denton J, Dekeirsschieter J, Ivaneanu T, Leentjes S, Janaway RC et al (2012) Effects of hydrated lime and quicklime on the decay of buried human remains using pig cadavers as human body analogues. Forensic Sci Int 217:50–59
Sharif S, Qamar A (2021) Insect faunal succession on buried goat carcass in Aligarh Region of Uttar Pradesh, India, with implications in forensic entomology. Egypt J Forensic Sci 11:1–8
Smith KG (1986) A manual of forensic entomology. Am J Archaeol 92:287–288
Szpila K, Voss J, Pape T (2010) A new dipteran forensic indicator in buried bodies. Med Vet Entomol 24:278–283
Tembe D, Mukaratirwa S (2020) Forensic entomology research and application in southern Africa: a scoping review. S Afr J Sci 116:1–8
Vanlaerhoven S, Anderson G (1999) Insect succession on buried carrion in two biogeoclimatic zones of British Columbia. J Forensic Sci 44:32–43
Yassin AET (2015) A review of the family Sarcophagidae (Diptera) in the Sudan. Sudan J Sci, 7
Zanetti NI, Visciarelli EC, Centeno ND (2015) Associational patterns of scavenger beetles to decomposition stages. J Forensic Sci 60:919–927
Zumpt F (1958) Calliphoridae (Diptera Cyclorrhapha). Part II.: Rhiniini. Explor. Parc Natn. Albert Miss. GF de Witte 92:1–207
Zumpt F, Tsacas L (1978) Taxonomic notes on higher Díptera placed by E. Séguy in the genus Rhyncomya Robineau-Desvoidy [Dipt. Calliphoridae Rhiniinae]. Bull De La Société entomologique de France 83:85–93
Acknowledgements
The authors express their sincere appreciation to the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP2024R112), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Funding
This project was funded by Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP2024R112), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed materially to this scientific research. F.A and M.A planned the work and wrote the manuscript. O.A and F.A performed the experiments. F.A, A.A and O.A Revised and edited the manuscript. All authors accepted the final version of this work.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
AL-Mekhlafi, F.A., Al-Zahrani, O., Al-Qahtni, A.H. et al. Decomposition of buried rabbits and pattern succession of insect arrival on buried carcasses. Int J Trop Insect Sci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-024-01203-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-024-01203-x