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3 March 2020 Insects Associated to Crime Scenes in the Northeast of Brazil: Consolidation of Collaboration Between Entomologists and Criminal Investigation Institutes
L. M. R. Meira, T. M. Barbosa, J. T. Jales, A. N. Santos, R. A. Gama
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Abstract

In Brazil, many studies on Forensic Entomology analyze the activity and succession of flies in animal models. Data on human corpses are always collected and evaluated in isolated cases. This study aimed to list the insect species associated with crime scenes investigated by the Technical-Scientific Institute of criminal expertise of the State of Rio Grande do Norte (ITEP-RN), in the Northeast of Brazil, a region exposed to high homicide rates. In total, 10 cases were investigated, of which 50% were in the initial stage of decomposition. The examined bodies were colonized by species of three orders of insects, Diptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. The order Diptera represented 96% of the total insects, being represented by the following species: Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Chrysomya putoria (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), and Cochliomyia macellaria, (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae); Musca domestica (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Muscidae); and unidentified females of the Sarcophagidae family. Among beetles, the occurrence of Dermestes maculatus (DeGeer) (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), Necrobia rufipes (De Geer) (Coleoptera: Cleridae), and Onthophagus sp. (Scarabaeidae), as well as unidentified specimens of the families Tenebrionidae and Histeridae were recorded. In addition, specimens of Ectatomma sp. (Formicidae) were also recorded. Considering that the Rio Grande do Norte state presents a high homicide rate and the last cadaver study was conducted over a decade ago, these records update the list of species associated with cadaveric decomposition and contribute to consolidate forensic entomology in the Northeast region.

© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
L. M. R. Meira, T. M. Barbosa, J. T. Jales, A. N. Santos, and R. A. Gama "Insects Associated to Crime Scenes in the Northeast of Brazil: Consolidation of Collaboration Between Entomologists and Criminal Investigation Institutes," Journal of Medical Entomology 57(4), 1012-1020, (3 March 2020). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaa040
Received: 14 November 2019; Accepted: 8 February 2020; Published: 3 March 2020
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KEYWORDS
beetles
flies
forensic entomology
human corpses
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