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5-3-2018 Forensic Entomology and the Order Coleoptera Carrie Pratt University of North Dakota

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Recommended Citation Pratt, Carrie, "Forensic Entomology and the Order Coleoptera" (2018). Essential Studies UNDergraduate Showcase. 10. https://commons.und.edu/es-showcase/10

This Poster is brought to you for free and open access by the Essential Studies Program at UND Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Essential Studies UNDergraduate Showcase by an authorized administrator of UND Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Forensic Entomology and the Order Coleoptera Carrie Pratt Biology Department, University of North Dakota College of Arts and Sciences

Introduction Background Further Research

Medico-legal forensic entomology is the study of insects to aid in Silphidae is one of, if not the most important family of beetle in forensic entomology. They are typically characterized by their Instar classification of forensically significant beetle species; difficult due determining time, place, manner, and cause of death1. Identification of the relatively large size, body shape, and club shaped antennae6. They are typically black, but may also have yellow, orange, or red to a lack of instar specific features13. Need to create more reference postmortem interval (PMI), or the time that has passed since a person has markings6. The majority of this family is associated with carrion, where the larvae typically feed on flesh and the adults feed scales. died, is arguably one of the most important pieces of information that on the larvae of other species, eliminating competition. forensic entomology can provide. The PMI can be found using either Timelines of arrivals that are more specific; research into phenology, the 7 insect developmental rates or entomofaunal succession, the arrival of There are two different subfamilies that differ depending on their behavior . Members of the subfamily Silphinae colonize study of seasonal cycles. large carrion and exhibit little to no parental care, while members of the subfamily Nicrophorinae tend to colonize smaller different insects at a body at different time points. Interactions between Coleoptera species and organisms; antimicrobial carrion and exhibit parental care7. The subfamily Nicrophorinae is interesting in that it contains burying beetles, that may bury compounds14, phoretic mechanically transported mites, and microbial The largest group of insects, the beetles, is the order Coleoptera, which the carrion if it is small enough8. 15 contains 25% of all animal species2. Members of this order are critical to hindgut communities . the field of forensic entomology, predominantly necrophagous beetles that Necrophila americana, the American carrion beetle, is a common necrophagous beetle in the Silphinae subfamily that is found 9 Effects of buried, burned, and immersed bodies, and premortem insect feed directly on the tissues of bodies, but also those that feed on the larvae east of the Rocky Mountains (Figure 1). These diurnal beetles feed on the larvae of flies and other beetles, while larvae feed on 9 colonization. of necrophagous insects. The family Silphidae, also known as carrion the carrion directly . Another species, Necrodes littoralis, the shore sexton beetle, belongs to the subfamily Nicrophorinae beetles, is an especially important group which employs both feeding (Figure 1). This beetle is so common in Europe that in a study of over 150 French forensic cases, this species was found one 10 strategies. Understanding both the order Coleoptera and the family case out of every eight . These beetles are common on large vertebrate bodies, however, both adults and larvae feed directly 10 Silphidae and how they relate to the field of forensic entomology is an on carrion and on Diptera larvae, although their preference follows that of Necrophila americana . Conclusions important step in recognizing their importance and furthering research into necrophagous beetles. Forensic entomology is extremely important to criminal investigations, and can more reliably determine PMI than traditional methods, by using the arrival and development of insects. Relevance Beetles, specifically the family of necrophagous beetles, Silphidae, are an important and interesting group that can be of significant value to the field Forensic entomology is a relatively new branch of forensic science, of forensic entomology. becoming common only in the past thirty or so year3. Entomological evidence is accepted in United States courts, and gaining acceptance in major European4. References

1. Catts, E.P., & Goff, M.L. (1992). Forensic entomology in criminal investigations. Annu Rev Entomol, 37, 253-272. Seventy-two hours after death, traditional pathological indicators of PMI 2. Hammond, P.M. (1992). Species inventory. Global Biodiversity, 17-39. 3. Anderson, G. S. (2003). Forensic entomology: The use of insects in death investigations. 5 4. Campobasso, C.P., & Introna, F. (2001). The forensic entomologist in the context of the forensic pathologist's role. Forensic Sci Int, 120, 132-139. are no longer reliable . Insect developmental patterns can be used to 5. Rhodes, E.T. (2016). Law enforcement and crime: Law, crime, and law enforcement. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. ISBN 978-1-6348-4127-6. 6. Monk, E., Hinson, K., Szewcyzk, T., D’Oench, H., & McCain, C. M. (2016). Key to the carrion beetles (Silphidae) of Colorado and neighboring states. 7. Sikes, D.S., Trumbo, S.T., & Peck, S.B. (2005). Silphidae (Latreille, 1807): Large carrion and burying beetles. accurately determine time of death after this period, especially when the 8. Hadley, D. (2017). Beetles that eat bodies. https://www.thoughtco.com/beetles-that-eat-bodies-1968326 9. Byrd, J.H., & Castner, J.L. (2000). Forensic entomology: The utility of arthropods in legal investigations. New York: CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-8120-1. 10. Charabidze, D., Vincent, B., Pasquerault, T., & Hedouin, V. (2016). The biology and ecology of Necrodes littoralis, a species of forensic interest in Europe. body is in late decomposition. Using this method is more reliable than Int J Legal Med 130(1), 273-280. 11. Oliver, M.K. (2011). Necrophila americana (Linnaeus) pair [digital image]. pathological indicators, making forensic entomology incredibly important 12. Descouens, D. (2011). Necrodes littoralis MHNT [digital image]. 13. Frątczak, K., & Matuszewski, S. (2016). Classification of forensically-relevant larvae according to instar in a closely related species of carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae: Silphinae). Forensic Sci Med Pathol, 12, 193–197. to criminal investigations. 14. Vogel, H., Shukla, S.P., Engl, T., Weiss, B., Fischer, R., Steiger, S., Heckel, D.G., Kaltenpoth, M., & Vilcinskas, A. (2017). The digestive and defensive basis of carcass utilization by the burying beetle and its microbiota. Nat Commun 8, 15186. 15. Kaltenpoth, M., & Steiger, S. (2013). Unearthing carrion beetles' microbiome: Characterization of bacterial and fungal hindgut communities across the Figure 1. Silphid Beetles. Left is Necrophila americana11, right is Necrodes littoralis12. Silphidae. Mol Ecol, 23(6), 1251–1267.

Latin Name Common Name Relevant Food Sources Fun Fact Silphidae Carrion beetles Insect larvae and flesh8 Over 1,500 species worldwide and 46 species in North America9. Staphylinidae Rove beetles Insect larvae8 The largest family of insects in North America9. Cleridae Checkered beetles Insect larvae; a subset feeds directly on flesh8 Appear when most of the flesh has been removed during late decomposition9. Dermestidae Skin, hide, leather, and carpet beetles Dry tissues; larvae feed on hair and skin8 Certain species are capable of skeletonizing a human body in as little as twenty-four days9. Trogidae Hide beetles Dry tissues8 As many as eight different species have been found on a single body9. Scarabaeidae Scarab beetles Feed larvae with flesh9 One of the largest beetle families, with over 19,000 species, but only 14 species are associated with bodies9. Nitidulidae Sap beetles Flesh8 Although most sap beetles prefer plant fluids, the necrophagous beetles prefer the dry stages of decomposition8. Histeridae Clown beetles Insect larvae8 Hide beneath the body during the day and emerge at night to feed on larvae8. Sphaeritidae False clown beetles Flesh8 There are only four species in this group, with only species in the Pacific Northwest8. Agyrtidae Primitive carrion beetles Flesh8 Once grouped with Silphidae, there are eleven species in North America, ten of which are on the Pacific Coast8. Geotrupidae Earth-boring dung beetles Flesh8 These beetles colonize bodies during the most active stages of decomposition8.