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

Abstract

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.

Entomofauna cadavérica en vertebrados marinos varados en la costa central del Perú

“…Dermestes (Linnaeus, 1758) is a genus of forensic importance in Peru, and it is the most frequent genus in 35 studies of cadaveric succession in South America (Giraldo-Mendoza, 2021). The dermestids D. maculatus, P. maculata and D. frischii were found in the present study mainly in adult and larval form in vertebrate carcasses stranded on beaches of the central coast of Peru.…”

“…On the other hand, when evaluated based on species richness, a greater number of birds (n= 19; 67.85%) was observed compared to mammals (n= 9; 32.15%). Recently, in Ite Bay, Tacna on the marine coasts of southern Peru, Ortiz-Álvarez et al (2022) described a dominance countries, and are considered as "known" species in entomological studies of cadaveric succession, and with a high proportion and indices of species of forensic importance (Medina-Achín et al, 2018;Giraldo-Mendoza, 2021). Among the dermestid species collected, the presence of D. maculatus was of note, being registered as a necrophagous species according to its ES.…”