• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.18 no.10
• /
• pp.1400-1409
• /
• 2008

This study was carried out to offer the forensic entomological evidence to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI) based on the decomposing state of the pig carrion and the arthropod succession in exposed carrion. A total of 48 species of 28 families belonging to 7 orders were collected, and dominant insect varied with season, i. e., the Calliphoridae in March, May and October, both of the Calliphoridae and the Staphylinidae in July, and the Staphylinidae in September. The Calliphoridae was the first visiting insect throughout all the seasons as well as the index insect dominant in the early decomposing stage. The index insect in the later decomposing stage, however, was the Staphylinidae throughout all the seasons except in March. In March, the Muscidae was dominant, presumably because the flies consistently arrived throughout the extended period of decomposition of the carrion owing to the low ambient temperature of the season. In this connection, it is known that not only the decomposition stage of the carrion and the carrion-associated insect but also the climatological condition of the region have to be taken into consideration to estimate the PMI.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.21 no.8
• /
• pp.1168-1175
• /
• 2011

This study was carried out to offer forensic entomological evidence to estimate the post mortem interval (PMI) based on the arthropod succession in pig carrions and carrion decomposition patterns varying with the exposed extent of the carrions. Four carrions, exposed, wrapped, covered or shaded, were placed in an open grassland near the Nakdong-river in Busan in August, 2010. It was found that the first visiting insect was Chrysomyia megacephala among a total of 20 species of 15 families belonging to 7 orders of Insecta, and that four species were useful indicators of the decomposition stage of the carrion: C. megacephala for I~V stages; a species of Sepsidae, Creophilus maxillosus and a species of Carabidae for III~V stages. It was also found that the more the exposed extent of exposure of carrions, the higher the rate of decomposition of carrions, i. e. the time for decomposition of carrions were 7days for the exposed carrion, 10days for the covered one, 13days for the shaded one, and 15days for the wrapped one. This result seems to be related to the differences in the weight loss of carrions caused by strong rains during the research period and by the accessibility of insects to the carrions; both are strongly affected by the exposed extent of the carrions. Accordingly, it was suggested that the exposed extent of the carrions must be taken into consideration to estimate the PMI.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.31-42
• /
• 1990

Storage ecosystems of rough rice, brown rice and polished rice were analyzed form Feb. 1987 to Nov. 1988 to investigate structures and ecological successions in the arthropod communities as well as changes in energy of the systems. The changes in temperature of stored rice showed high degree dependence on the temperature of storage room with time lag of about four weeks. Moisture content of rough rice, brown rice and polished rice during the period were in the range of 12.7$\pm$0.4, 13.1$\pm$0.4 and 13.5$\pm$0.3%, respectively. The arthropod communities in rough rice, brown rice and polished rice were qualitatively and quantitatively different. In rough rice, dominant species changed from Leptinotus reticulatus Endlein to Liposcelisentomophilus Endlein, while in brown rice from Pyralis farinalis L. to Sitophilus oryze (L.), unidentified parasitic wasps, Anisopteromalus calandrae Howard and Tribolium castaneum Herbst and finally to S. oryzae. In polished rice, the arthropod community showed an ecological succession similar to that in brown rice except for a transient dominance of two psocidspecies. Thearthropod community in rough rice was rather simple and unstable in comparison with those in brown rice and polished rice. The 1000 kernel weight of brown rice decreased slightly during the period when the arthropods were active (summer season), while that of rough rice and polished rice remained at the similar level. However, the ash content per unit volume of brown rice as well as rough rice and polished rice showed no increase during the period.