scholarly journals Insect succession pattern on decomposing pig carcasses in Tasmania: a summer study'

2019 ◽  
pp. 31-38
Author(s):  
P Magni ◽  
M Zwerver ◽  
IR Dadour
Keyword(s):  
Forensic Entomology ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Crime Scene ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Crime Scene Reconstruction ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Pig Carcasses ◽  
Summer Study ◽  
Arrival Pattern

Insect succession has been studied around the world using the predictable and mostly sequential arrival pattern of different insect species that are attracted to a decomposing carcass. In cases of suspicious death of humans and animals, carrion insects may be used to assist in crime scene reconstruction. The present research represents the first study in forensic entomology to be undertaken in Tasmania, investigating insect succession patterns on decomposing pig carcasses and providing a preliminary database of forensically important insects. Six pig carcasses were placed in two contrasting locations (rural and urban) in northern Tasmania. Insect successional waves were recorded over a 40-day study during the austral summer season. Results showed that decomposition rates and insect assemblages varied between each location. Eleven insect taxa, representing nine families, were identified in association with the decomposition of the pig carcasses at both localities. Blowflies present on the pig carcasses throughout the decomposition process were Calliphora stygia Malloch (Diptera: Calliphoridae) at both sites and Lucilia sericata (Meigen) at the urban site only. These preliminary results will provide useful information in any future casework involving human remains and associated insect material in Tasmania.

scholarly journals Wintertime aerosol chemical composition, volatility, and spatial variability in the greater London area

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 1139-1160 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Xu ◽  
L. R. Williams ◽  
D. E. Young ◽  
J. D. Allan ◽  
H. Coe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Solid Fuel ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Rural Site ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
High Temporal Resolution ◽  
Volatile Organics ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. The composition of PM1 (particulate matter with diameter less than 1 µm) in the greater London area was characterized during the Clean Air for London (ClearfLo) project in winter 2012. Two high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometers (HR-ToF-AMS) were deployed at a rural site (Detling, Kent) and an urban site (North Kensington, London). The simultaneous and high-temporal resolution measurements at the two sites provide a unique opportunity to investigate the spatial distribution of PM1. We find that the organic aerosol (OA) concentration is comparable between the rural and urban sites, but the contribution from different sources is distinctly different between the two sites. The concentration of solid fuel OA at the urban site is about twice as high as at the rural site, due to elevated domestic heating in the urban area. While the concentrations of oxygenated OA (OOA) are well-correlated between the two sites, the OOA concentration at the rural site is almost twice that of the urban site. At the rural site, more than 70 % of the carbon in OOA is estimated to be non-fossil, which suggests that OOA is likely related to aged biomass burning considering the small amount of biogenic SOA in winter. Thus, it is possible that the biomass burning OA contributes a larger fraction of ambient OA in wintertime than what previous field studies have suggested. A suite of instruments was deployed downstream of a thermal denuder (TD) to investigate the volatility of PM1 species at the rural Detling site. After heating at 250 °C in the TD, 40 % of the residual mass is OA, indicating the presence of non-volatile organics in the aerosol. Although the OA associated with refractory black carbon (rBC; measured by a soot-particle aerosol mass spectrometer) only accounts for < 10 % of the total OA (measured by a HR-ToF-AMS) at 250 °C, the two measurements are well-correlated, suggesting that the non-volatile organics have similar sources or have undergone similar chemical processing as rBC in the atmosphere. Although the atomic O : C ratio of OOA is substantially larger than that of solid fuel OA and hydrocarbon-like OA, these three factors have similar volatility, which is inferred from the change in mass concentration after heating at 120 °C. Finally, we discuss the relationship between the mass fraction remaining (MFR) of OA after heating in the TD and atomic O : C of OA and find that particles with a wide range of O : C could have similar MFR after heating. This analysis emphasizes the importance of understanding the distribution of volatility and O : C in bulk OA.

Crime Scene Reconstruction

2012 ◽  
pp. 313-316
Author(s):  
Max M. Houck ◽  
Frank Crispino ◽  
Terry McAdam
Keyword(s):  
Crime Scene ◽  
Scene Reconstruction ◽  
Crime Scene Reconstruction

scholarly journals Characterization of necrophagus entomofauna in a typical agricultural area in Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy)

Entomologia ◽  
2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Calzolari ◽  
F. Defilippo ◽  
G. Zani ◽  
M. Colombo ◽  
M. Dottori
Keyword(s):  
Forensic Entomology ◽  
Interval Estimation ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Agricultural Area ◽  
Post Mortem Interval ◽  
Po Valley ◽  
Flying Insects ◽  
Emilia Romagna Region ◽  
Pig Carcasses

This study presents a checklist of Dipterans and Coleopterans accountable for carrion decay in the Po Valley (Italy), a contribution to the Forensic Entomology knowledge in Italy. Insects colonizing two pig carcasses in an agricultural area in Mezzani municipality (Parma, Northern Italy) were sampled by pitfall traps and original Malaise-like traps, which allowed the sampling of a very relevant number of flying insects. A checklist of 57 taxa was obtained, of which 26 were considered of forensic importance. For the latter the arrival time of adult specimens on the carcasses was recorded, as an important parameter in minimum post mortem interval estimation. Dipterans (6141 specimens) were the most common insects; the fastest specimens to detect and colonize the carcass belonged to the Calliphoridae family, while Fanniidae and Muscidae infested the carrion until completion of the skeletal stage. Coleopterans appeared later (308 adult specimens and 114 larvae were captured). Staphylinidae, Dermestidae, and Histeridae were the most common coleopterans sampled in this study.

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