Predicting the visitation of carcasses by carrion-related insects under different rates of degree-day accumulation

Michaud, Jean-Philippe; Moreau, Gaétan

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2008.12.015

Cited by 87 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…A similar result was found in the sarcophagid community in Osaka, Japan (Tachibana and Numata 2006). Experiments with blow flies (Nicholson 1934, Norris 1966, Richards et al 2009a, , Matuszewski et al 2014) and other insects (Christian and Morton 1992, Sanborn and Phillips 1996, Williams 2003, Sanborn et al 2003 showed that physical activity is not possible below a threshold temperature, and the promptness with which insects arrive at a carcass can be related to ambient temperatures above a characteristic threshold (Michaud and Moreau 2009, 2011, Matuszewski and Szafalowicz 2013, Matuszewski et al 2014. Similarities in such thresholds of different species may arise from close phylogenetic relationships (Richards et al 2009a) or biogeographical adaptation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

The temporal occurrence of flesh flies (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) at carrion-baited traps in Grahamstown, South Africa

Villet¹,

Clitheroe²,

Williams³

2017

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Eleven species of flesh fly were identified in a sample of 737 specimens captured during fortnightly trapping at three sites in Grahamstown, South Africa, over a year. Sarcophaga africa Wiedemann, 1824, S. inaequalis Austen, 1909, S. exuberans Pandellé, 1896 and S. tibialis Macquart, 1851 showed well-defined peaks between early October 2001 and late April 2002, and only S. africa was trapped at other times of year. These peaks occurred when average minimum and maximum ambient air temperatures were above 12°C and 22°C, respectively, and showed no obvious relationship to rainfall. There were indications of population cycles in all of these species. Sarcophaga hera Zumpt, 1972, S. arno Curran, 1934, S. inzi Curran, 1934, S. langi Curran, 1934, S. freyi Zumpt, 1953, S. nodosa Engel, 1925 and S. samia Curran, 1934 were too scarce to assess their patterns of occurrence rigorously. Insects attending a corpse are reputed to assist forensic entomologists in estimating the time of year when the body died. Some flesh flies provide more precise estimates than others, so several species should be used for cross-validation. Insect activity at a corpse depends on the weather, so that presence of a species indicates particular environmental conditions and not simply calendar dates (particularly if climate changes). Absence of a species is not necessarily evidence of specific conditions because species may not be present at all sites simultaneously, populations cycle even when their members are active, and low population densities may hamper detection of a species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

The temporal occurrence of flesh flies (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) at carrion-baited traps in Grahamstown, South Africa

Villet¹,

Clitheroe²,

Williams³

2017

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“…Th e specimens were recovered on a domestic pig (Sus scrofa) carcass that had decomposed for 22 days in an agricultural fi eld. For a comprehensive description of fi eld characteristics and of the methods used to collect specimens, see Michaud and Moreau (2009). Th ese are the fi rst records of this adventive species in Canada.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adventive species of Quedius (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) in North America: a survey and new Canadian record

Majka¹,

Michaud²,

Moreau³

2009

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“…In this paper, the aim was to use relative abundance data for four forensically important families, Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Fanniidae (Diptera) and Formicidae (Hymenoptera), to model the season of death, which together with the PMI estimation, are the most important forensic aspects (Turchetto & Vanin, 2010). In the model, immature and adult insects of these families are included because this approach leads to a more complete comprehension of the dynamics of the local carrion community (Michaud & Moreau, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determining the season of death from the family composition of insects infesting carrion

Moretti¹,

Bonato²,

Godoy³

2011

Eur. J. Entomol.

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INTRODUCTIONThe microenvironment to which a carcass is exposed (e.g. shaded or sunlit sites), which affects local air temperature, humidity and rate of dehydration, has a major effect on (i) the rate of decomposition of the carcass, (ii) its attraction as an oviposition/larviposition site for flies, (iii) maggot development and (iv) relative abundance of carrion insects (Shean et al., 1993).Another major factor is the season of the year, which has a crucial influence on weather and on the biotic community of a region, and may also affect both the decomposition process and the composition of the carrion entomofauna (Tomberlin & Adler, 1998).The season is even more important than the time that has elapsed since death in determining the time of colonization of several species of carrion insects, mainly in temperate countries (Anderson, 2010).The seasonality of some carrion arthropods and the different times of colonization of a carcass in different seasons imply that these organisms may be valuable in determining the season of death, which is especially useful when a corpse is discovered long after death occurred (i.e. long PMI cases) (Anderson, 2010). Establishing the season of death can be crucial in determining/eliminating suspects and confirming alibis in the case of murder, accidental death, suicide and even when the death is from natural causes Geberth, 1996). The season of death can also have important implications for legal matters such as inheritance and insurance (Henssge et al., 2002).In spite of its importance, the association between carrion insects and their season of appearance on corpses, and therefore the possibility of predicting the season of death using these organisms, has rarely been investigated (but see, e.g., Archer & Elgar, 2003), and, to the best of our knowledge, has never been statistically modelled.For this reason, it is proposed here to use a statistical approach, a logit-based regression method, to model the season in which death occurred in terms of a function of the area where the carcass was exposed (sunlit or shaded) and the relative abundance of arthropod families found in the carrion. This type of model, which is unusual in the field of forensic entomology, is called a logit model, or specifically in our case, a baseline-category logit model (Agresti, 2002). This type of statistical approach was chosen to build a model able to describe the probability of occurrence of a nominal event (season) as a function of a set of independent covariates. A cross-validation procedure was used to validate the model and assess its accuracy in predicting the season in which death occurred. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study siteThe site was located in an urban forest (22°49´15˝S, 47°04´08˝W) on the campus of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the municipality of Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil (approx. 685 m above sea level). The climate of the region is seasonal, with a dry and cool season (winter) occurring from early June to late August, a warm and wet season (summer) from mid-November ...

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Predicting the visitation of carcasses by carrion-related insects under different rates of degree-day accumulation

Cited by 87 publications

References 43 publications

The temporal occurrence of flesh flies (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) at carrion-baited traps in Grahamstown, South Africa

The temporal occurrence of flesh flies (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) at carrion-baited traps in Grahamstown, South Africa

Adventive species of Quedius (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) in North America: a survey and new Canadian record

Determining the season of death from the family composition of insects infesting carrion

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