A Review of Necrophagous Insects Colonising Human and Animal Cadavers in South-East Queensland, Australia
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Accepted Manuscript Title: A review of necrophagous insects colonising human and animal cadavers in south-east Queensland, Australia Author: Julianne F. Farrell Andrew E. Whittington Myron P. Zalucki PII: S0379-0738(15)00331-X DOI: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2015.07.053 Reference: FSI 8112 To appear in: FSI Received date: 16-5-2014 Revised date: 26-7-2015 Accepted date: 30-7-2015 Please cite this article as: J.F. Farrell, A.E. Whittington, M.P. Zalucki, A review of necrophagous insects colonising human and animal cadavers in south-east Queensland, Australia., Forensic Science International (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2015.07.053 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. 1 A review of necrophagous insects colonising human and animal cadavers in 2 south-east Queensland, Australia. 3 Julianne F. Farrella, Andrew E. Whittingtonb, Myron P. Zaluckia 4 a The University of Queensland, School of Biological Sciences, St Lucia Qld 4072. 5 [email protected] 6 a The University of Queensland, School of Biological Sciences, St Lucia Qld 4072. 7 [email protected] 8 b Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow Poole, BH12 5BB, United Kingdom 9 [email protected] 10 11 Corresponding author: Tel.: +61 411 257 831. Email addresses: 12 [email protected] (J. Farrell), [email protected] (A.E. 13 Whittington), [email protected] (M.P. Zalucki). 14 15 Accepted Manuscript Page 1 of 1 Page 1 of 26 15 QHFSS morgue paper – Highlights 16 Thirty two species of necrophagous insects were collected from human remains 17 Most species were common to human and non-human vertebrate remains 18 The best forensic indicator species for Queensland are likely to be Chrysomya spp. 19 20 21 22 Accepted Manuscript Page 2 of 2 Page 2 of 26 22 A review of necrophagous insects colonising human and animal cadavers in 23 south-east Queensland, Australia. 24 25 Abstract 26 A review of insects collected from decomposing human remains in south-east 27 Queensland yielded 32 species in three orders (Diptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera) 28 and 11 families (Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, Phoridae, Sepsidae, 29 Chironomidae, Dermestidae, Cleridae, Histeridae, Staphylinidae, Encyrtidae). There 30 were 15 cases where remains were located indoors and five cases where remains 31 were outdoors, in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Coleoptera were 32 strongly associated with outdoors remains, while dipteran species composition was 33 similar in both indoor and outdoor habitats. Some Diptera were only associated with 34 indoors remains, while others were similarly restricted to remains recovered 35 outdoors. Hymenopteran parasitoids were active in both habitats. 36 Comparative collections were made from other vertebrate remains, including road-kill 37 and farmed animals throughout south-east Queensland (Qld) and northern New 38 South Wales (NSW) during the same period. 39 Keywords: forensic entomology, post-mortem, Diptera, insect colonisation, human 40 cadavers, QueenslandAccepted Manuscript 41 42 1. Introduction 43 A common legal challenge for forensic entomology relates to the scientific 44 validity of substituting vertebrate remains for human remains in baseline studies [1]. Page 3 of 3 Page 3 of 26 45 Due to the legal and ethical issues of using human cadavers for research, forensic 46 entomologists have used a variety of vertebrate animals (Table 1) to observe insect 47 succession and generate the baseline data used for post mortem interval estimates 48 in medicolegal cases. Pigs are by far the most internationally accepted human 49 Table 1. Summary of vertebrate remains used in decomposition studies to obtain 50 insect succession data. Author Location Animal model Payne 1965 [3] South Carolina, USA Pigs Richards & Goff 1997 [4] Hawaii, USA Pigs Anderson et al. 2002 [5] Alberta, Canada Pigs Archer 2003 [6] Victoria, Australia Pigs Matuszewski et al. 2008 [7] Western Poland Pigs Sharanowski et al. 2008 [8] Saskatoon, Canada Pigs Eberhardt & Elliot 2008 [9] Auckland, New Zealand Pigs Voss et al. 2008 [10] WA, Australia Pigs Voss et al. 2009, 2011 [11,12] WA, Australia Pigs Anderson 2011 [13] Alberta, Canada Pigs Fuller 1934 [14] ACT, Australia Rodents Kočárek 2003 [15] Opava, Czech Republic Rodents Azwandi et al. 2013 [16] Selangor, Malaysia Rodents Johnson 1975 [17] Illinois, USA Rabbits Tantawi et al. 1996 [18] Alexandria, Egypt Rabbits Bourel et al. 1999 [19] Ambleteuse, France Rabbits Bachmann & Simmons 2010 [20] Lancashire, UK Rabbits Azwandi et al. 2013 [21] Selangor, Malaysia Rabbits Ahmad & Ahmad 2009 [22] Kedah, Malaysia Monkeys Ahmad et al. 2011 [23] Kedah, Malaysia Monkeys Azwandi et al. 2013 [21] Selangor, Malaysia Monkeys Braak 1986 [24] Transvaal, South Africa Antelope O’Flynn & Moorhouse 1979 [25] Queensland, Australia Macropods Reed 1958 [26] Tennessee, USA Dogs Jiron & Cartin 1981 [27] Costa Rica Dogs O’Flynn 1983 [28] Queensland, Australia Dogs O’Flynn & Moorhouse 1979 [25] Queensland, Australia Cats O’Flynn 1983 [28] Queensland, Australia Cats O’Flynn 1983 [28] Queensland, Australia Sheep Johnson 1975 [17] Illinois, USA Squirrels Lang et al. 2006Accepted [29] Tasmania, Manuscript Australia Possums Bornemissza 1957 [30] Perth, Australia Guinea pigs Cornaby 1974 [31] Costa Rica Reptiles Nelder et al. 2009 [32] Alabama, USA Reptiles Rodriguez & Bass 1983 [33] Tennessee, USA Humans Rodriguez & Bass 1985 [34] Tennessee, USA Humans Schoenly et al. 2002, 2007 [2,35] Tennessee, USA Humans 51 Page 4 of 4 Page 4 of 26 52 This study was initiated to determine the range of necrophagous insects 53 attracted to human remains in south-east Queensland (Qld), and to compare the 54 species observed with those that inhabit other vertebrate remains in the same 55 region. Of the 20 cases reviewed at the Brisbane mortuary, there were 15 cases 56 where remains were located indoors and five cases where remains were outdoors, in 57 both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Coleoptera were strongly associated with 58 outdoors remains, while dipteran species composition was similar in both indoor and 59 outdoor habitats. Some Diptera were only associated with indoors remains, while 60 others were similarly restricted to remains recovered outdoors. Hymenopteran 61 parasitoids were active in both habitats. 62 63 Materials and Methods 64 Access to decomposing human remains was obtained through the 65 Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services (QHFSS) mortuary in Brisbane. 66 Approvals for entomological research were granted by Queensland Health, the 67 Queensland Police Service, and The University of Queensland, with the following 68 permits issued: 69 I. Queensland Health Human Research Ethics Committee approval number 70 FSS-HECAccepted AU/1/0FF9012. Manuscript 71 II. Approval as a ‘Genuine Researcher’ under S.53(7) Queensland Coroners 72 Act 2003. 73 III. The University of Queensland Medical Research Ethics Committee, 74 project number 2011001124. Page 5 of 5 Page 5 of 26 75 During the period December 2011 to January 2014, necrophagous insects 76 inhabiting human remains found in outdoor and indoor environments in south-east 77 Queensland (Qld) were collected. Remains had been stored in a cool room running 78 at 4oC after delivery to the mortuary and prior to autopsy. The time between delivery 79 of the remains to the mortuary and insect collection was usually 2-3 days. 80 Dipteran adults, pupae, larvae and eggs, and adult Coleoptera were collected 81 from the cadavers, their clothing and inside body bags. Collections were made 82 immediately prior to, and during autopsy. Most of the eggs and larvae found were 83 placed onto fresh kangaroo mince for rearing, while some were killed in hot water 84 and preserved in 70% alcohol. Pupae were rinsed in water, dried and placed into 85 40ml disposable plastic containers with perforated lids to continue development. 86 Adults were collected and killed by freezing if not already dead in the clothing and 87 body bag. 88 Eggs, larvae and pupae were reared under ambient conditions in 89 Toowoomba, Qld then identified as adults using published taxonomic keys. 90 Specimens were collected in the presence of mortuary staff, and sometimes 91 investigating police. Decedent information recorded included stage of decomposition, 92 age, gender, date last known to be alive, date delivered to the mortuary, date of 93 insect collection,Accepted location and type of death scene, Manuscript and manner of death. 94 Collected insects were identified to species wherever possible using the 95 taxonomic keys referenced above, reference to collections held by The Queensland 96 Museum (QM) and the Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC), or with 97 assistance from entomologists (Bryan Cantrell, Sasha Voss, Jocelyn King). Page 6 of 6 Page 6 of 26 98 Based on an insect succession study conducted over two years using pigs, a 99 list of forensically important Diptera for south-east Qld was created [36]. 100 Comparative collections were conducted on an opportunistic basis on more than 80 101 road-kills and other dead vertebrate remains from central Qld through to central 102 NSW during the same period as the mortuary study. Vertebrate remains examined 103 included kangaroos and wallabies (Macropus spp. n= >40), feral pigs (Sus scrofa n= 104 >20), sheep (Ovis sp. n= 5), cattle (Bos taurus n= 2), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes n= 3), 105 rats (Rattus norvegicus n= 2) and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus n= 5). 106 Decomposition stages ranged from fresh to skeletonised. 107 The same collection, rearing and identification procedures were followed.