Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2006. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references. Also available via the World Wide Web.

Three major aspects of blowfly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) research were the focus of this study. Firstly, the phylogenetic relationships of 40 oestroid species from a variety of geographical localities were investigated using Cytochrome Oxidase b subunit I (COl) gene sequences. Maximum parsimony (MP) and Jukes-Cantor neighbor-joining (NJ) analyses both extracted a paraphyletic Calliphoridae, with the Calliphorinae-Luciliinae clade being sister to the Sarcophagidae. Short branch lengths within Chrysomya indicate a recent rapid radiation of this genus. Phormia and Protophormia either formed a sister clade to Chrysomya, or were embedded in this genus. Tree topologies were comparable between MP and NJ trees, but the positions of some genera were ambiguous. Secondly, developmental parameters and behaviour were investigated for four southern African species of forensically important blowflies viz. Chrysomya chloropyga, C. putoria, C. megacephala and Lucilia sericata, and ad hoc observations were made for Calliphora croceipalpis, Chrysomya marginalis and the predatory C. albiceps. Choice of oviposition substrate differed between species, mirroring substrate preferences in the field. Sexual dimorphism and dwarfism within a cohort complicated ageing maggots using size, but the use of developmental events (e.g. ecdysis) allowed ages to be determined unambiguously. Separate species status was supported for the previously synonymised C. chloropyga and C. putoria, by differences in maggot behaviour, larval growth rates and temperature optima. The proportion of total development time assigned to each larval instar and pupariation was variable among temperatures, but similar between congeneric species. Thirdly, since a negative linear relationship was found to occur between the developmental constant (K) and developmental zero (D₀) for both Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae, the potential for predicting physiological parameters of unstudied taxa was investigated. Species and genera of Palaearctic origin generally had high K's and low D₀'s, and the reverse was true for the tropical taxa. It was found that both K and D₀ can be estimated for "unknown" taxa using the Felsenstein's Independent Contrasts (FIC) method of PDTree (Garland et al. 200 I), provided that branch lengths are relatively short and the phylogenetic position of the estimated taxon is unambiguous.

Submitted by Haroudo Xavier Filho (haroudo.xavierfo@ufpe.br) on 2016-08-30T19:01:31Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação Luiz A. Lira Júnior.pdf: 1730176 bytes, checksum: 2e8db072089ef9bd7ce638de02965e3c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-30T19:01:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação Luiz A. Lira Júnior.pdf: 1730176 bytes, checksum: 2e8db072089ef9bd7ce638de02965e3c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-01 / CAPES / A Entomologia Forense refere-se ao estudo dos insetos associados a situações criminais podendo ser utilizada como ferramenta auxiliar na investigação de crimes envolvendo morte violenta. A ordem Coleoptera (besouros) corresponde a segunda maior ordem de interesse forense. Dentre as espécies de importância forense, destaca-se Oxelytrum discicolle (Coleoptera: Silphidae), por estar associada frequentemente a carcaças e cadáveres humanos. Este trabalho teve como objetivos: i) compilar dados sobre a distribuição geográfica de O. discicolle na América do Sul com intuito de contribuir e atualizar a revisão feita para o gênero há 30 anos, abordando aspectos conservacionistas e climáticos que influenciam a distribuição da espécie; ii) investigar a atratividade alimentar de O. discicolle por carcaças de Sus scrofa em diferentes estágios de decomposição oferecidas simultaneamente em um fragmento de mata de galeria no Cerrado, discutindo características bionômicas, reprodutivas e ecológicas; iii) observar o padrão temporal diário de atividade (diurno vs. noturno) da espécie no Cerrado. Oxelytrum discicolle está atualmente distribuída em cinco países e o Brasil detém o maior número de referências na literatura, estando a espécie associada a ambientes florestais e de elevada altitude. Apesar desta ter sido a primeira vez que a espécies foi registrada em Brasília (Distrito Federal), O. discicolle foi a mais abundante, mostrando-se significativamente mais atraída por carcaças em estágios mais avançados de decomposição em ambas as estações. Uma correlação positiva foi encontrada entre a abundância dos indivíduos e a estação chuvosa. A espécie apresentou um padrão de atividade prioritariamente noturno. O número de machos e fêmeas coletados não diferiram significativamente durante todo o experimento. Dessa forma, a espécie é um potencial indicador para estudos forenses, corroborando estudos anteriores que sugerem o papel fundamental dos besouros em casos onde os cadáveres são encontrados em estágios mais avançados. / Forensic Entomology refers to the study of insects associated with criminal situations and can be used as an auxiliary tool in the investigation of crimes involving violent death. Coleoptera (beetles) is the second largest order of forensic interest. Among the species of forensic importance, Oxelytrum discicolle (Coleoptera: Silphidae) stands out, since it is often associated with carcasses and human corpses. This study aimed to: i) compile data on the geographical distribution of O. discicolle in South America in order to contribute and update the revision made about the genus 30 years ago, addressing conservation and climatic aspects that can have an influence in the species’ distribution; ii) investigate the attractiveness of O. discicolle by Sus scrofa carcasses at different stages of decomposition offered simultaneously in a gallery forest fragment in the Cerrado Biome, discussing bionomic, reproductive, and ecological characteristics; iii) observe the daily temporal pattern of activity (daytime vs. nighttime) of the species in the Cerrado. Oxelytrum discicolle is currently distributed in five countries, and Brazil has the largest number of references in the literature, being the species associated with forest environments and high altitude. Although this was the first time that the species was recorded in Brasília (Distrito Federal), it was the most abundant one, being significantly more attracted by carcasses in advanced stages of decomposition in both seasons. A positive correlation was found between the abundance of individuals and the rainy season. The species had a primarily nocturnal activity pattern. The amount of collected males and females did not differ significantly throughout the experiment. Thus, the species is a potential indicator for forensic studies, confirming previous studies that suggest the key role of beetles in cases where the bodies are found in more advanced stages.

Orientador: Arício Xavier Linhares / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T07:56:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Brancoli_DanielLuz_M.pdf: 2919175 bytes, checksum: 945c65bec3a80aec88b5f6b239293fd2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: A estimativa do intervalo pós-morte (IPM), período entre a ocorrência da morte e o momento em que o corpo ou carcaça é encontrado, é uma das principais utilizações de insetos na área forense. A partir de informações sobre a biologia, ecologia e distribuição geográfica dos insetos, bem como do comportamento de toda fauna presente em um corpo é possível estimar o menor intervalo da ocorrência da morte. Diversos fatores tais como temperatura, umidade, presença de substâncias tóxicas nos tecidos de uma carcaça, podem interferir no ciclo de vida de um inseto, afetando diretamente a estimativa do IPM quando esta é baseada em parâmetros biológicos do inseto. Por isso, múltiplos fatores devem ser considerados para que a perícia seja mais precisa. Com o aumento no número de mortes de animais de importância econômica devido à intoxicação medicamentosa, se faz necessárias pesquisas voltadas para a entomotoxicologia, uma área que carece de estudos específicos. Assim, o presente trabalho visou identificar a entomofauna associada a carcaças de cabras (Capra aegagrus hircus L.) mortas após tratamento com ivermectina, expostas em ambiente natural, além de averiguar possíveis diferenças na atratividade, no desenvolvimento dos imaturos que utilizaram esse substrato para alimentação e se a temperatura e o padrão de colonização da massa larval divergem entre as carcaças de animais mortos por intoxicação. Esse último parâmetro foi avaliado por meio de registros termográficos realizados em intervalos de 12 horas. Além da importância de fatores abióticos como luminosidade, temperatura, umidade e pluviosidade, pôde-se observar a ação da ivermectina nas carcaças tratadas, interferindo na composição da fauna colonizadora, no tempo total e em cada estágio da decomposição, assim como no padrão físico e comportamental das massas larvais em comparação ao grupo controle. Ainda foi demonstrado que a termografia pode ser utilizada como uma nova ferramenta em estudos periciais, auxiliando de forma significativa a avaliação dos parâmetros das massas larvais / Abstract: The estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI), period between the occurrence of death and the time at which the body or casing is found, is one of the main uses of insects in the forensic field. Using information on the biology, ecology and geographical distribution of insects, as well as the behavior of the entire fauna present in a body, is possible to estimate the time of death. Several factors such as temperature, humidity, presence of toxic substances in the tissues of a carcass, may interfere with the life cycle of an insect, directly affecting the estimate of PMI when it is based on biological parameters of the insect. Therefore, multiple factors should be considered so that the forensic analysis is more accurate. With the increase in the number of animal's deaths of economic importance due to drug intoxication, becomes necessary a research on entomotoxicology, an area with lack of specific studies. Thus, the present study aimed to identify the insect fauna associated with carcasses of goats (Capra aegagrus hircus L.) killed after treatment with ivermectin and exposed in the natural environment. Still, investigate possible differences in attractiveness, the immature development that used this substrate for feeding and if the temperature and the colonization pattern of larval mass differ between carcasses of animals killed after ivermectin inoculation. This last parameter was evaluated by thermographic shots performed at intervals of 12 hours. Besides the importance of abiotic factors such as luminosity, temperature, humidity and rainfall, the action of ivermectin on carcasses couse interferense in the composition of the colonizing fauna, the total time of colonization and the time of the decomposition stages, as well as the physical patterns and behavior of larval masses compared to the control group. Although it has been shown that thermography can be used as a new tool in forensic studies, helping to evaluate the parameters of larval mass / Mestrado / Parasitologia / Mestre em Parasitologia

Necrophilous insects, if correctly identified, can provide useful forensic information. Research in this area has focussed on flies and beetles remain comparatively under-studied, partly because some adult carrion beetles are difficult to identify morphologically, as are their juvenile stages, often requiring specialist expertise in both cases. Molecular taxonomy has been proposed as a solution to these problems. DNA “barcodes" are short fragments of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) DNA that are anticipated to delineate species. This approach is becoming increasingly popular, but has been met with varying enthusiasm from taxonomists. This thesis examines their use in identifying forensically significant beetles.The DNA barcodes of 234 specimens of 25 forensically significant southern African beetle species from seven families (Cleridae, Dermestidae, Silphidae, Staphylinidae, Scarabaeidae, Trogidae and Histeridae) were obtained. Thirty-three initial barcode amplification failures were overcome by using primers other than the standard Folmer pair, undermining the barcode concept’s hope of universal primers that would allow even non-specialists to produce barcodes. Another 150 specimens (64%) entirely failed to yield barcodes, including 18 fresh specimens of three species of Trogidae, implying another lack of universality of the barcoding protocol. The majority of the beetles clustered with confamilials on neighbour-joining and maximum likelihood trees, but 1.3% of the barcodes failed to cluster with their respective families, raising questions concerning the associating power of barcodes. The identification tools of the GenBank and BOLD on-line DNA sequence databases identified 21% of the specimens to the species level, 6% of them correctly. There was evidence of a paralogous sequence in the Cleridae that, while supporting identification now that it has been associated with a morphological identification, would hamper attempts at identification by clustering or phylogenetic analysis.Distance and haplotype network analyses of the barcodes of six widespread species showed that they are not geographically structured. Barcodes are thus unlikely to be indicators of the region of origin of a species and will not determine whether a corpse has been relocated after death. To assess whether a different mitochondrial DNA fragment might address (some of) these problems, a 2.2 kb fragment extending from the 5’ end of the COI gene to the 3’ end of the Cytochrome Oxidase II (COII) gene was analysed for nine species. It was found that, for Dermestidae, Scarabaeidae and Histeridae, higher degrees of diversity occurred downstreamof the barcode region, but the region of highest diversity in the Cleridae was in the barcode region. Thus, finding a more reliable fragment along the COI-COII region for each family may make robust and guaranteed DNA-based identification of these beetles more likely. The possibility of a forensic specimen being incorrectly or not identified based on its barcode alone exists in about 40% of cases, even with the new barcodes reported here. Forensic science sets a very high bar in assessing the performance of its techniques, and it is concluded that barcodes currently have unsettling failure rates as court-worthy evidence.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Development rate is a quantitative trait that displays significant variation within many species, including Cochliomyia macellaria Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Calliphorids are a family of dipterans known as blow flies and are commonly used in forensic entomology to estimate the minimum postmortem interval (PMIMIN), given some assumptions are made. In order to dissect the genetic underpinnings of development rate variation in this species, artificial selection for fast and slow development with population-based resequencing was used. The objective of this study is to isolate and characterize genomic regions that are correlated to development rate variation in blow flies. The first approach used known regulatory development genes from Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and isolated variants that were associated with development time changes in artificially selected fast and slow development C. macellaria strains. Three variants located in Ras and Eip74EF were associated with fast or slow development in selection strains with a significant change in allele frequency. The second approach involved the comparison of pooled artificially selected fast and slow C. macellaria genomes to investigate the genetic basis of development rate variation. When comparing the fast and slow genomes, 699 sequences were identified that contained 7290 variants with consistent changes in allele frequency. The variants indicated that the genomic regions that are associated with development rate were associated with developmental processes, including regulation of RNA polymerase II activity, and transporter activity, such as protein dimerization. Of the 699 sequences, 69 sequences were related to Achaete-scute complex and 14 were related to Cyp12A7. The identification of the genomic regions that associated with development rates from this study provides an important resource for future studies in identifying potential genetic markers to increase the effectiveness of PMIMIN estimates. By using significantly associated variants as a priori candidates for future studies, the data increases the understanding of natural development variation in blow flies.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Forensic entomology is a subdiscipline of entomology that involves the use of insect behavior and developmental data to aid in criminal investigations. Genetic data has become increasingly important to the field as there has been a push for DNA-based species identification methods of forensically relevant insects. Genetic data can also elucidate population structure and relatedness of these insects, and such knowledge can contribute to the development of more specific datasets for insects in different regions. The first study presented here investigated the phylogenetics of sister species Lucilia cuprina and Lucilia sericata to identify possible subspecies divisions and issues with DNA-based identifications in the United States. The initial aim of this study was to identify genetic differences between specimens of L. cuprina that preferred live versus carrion flesh. Flies collected from Indiana, USA and South Africa were sequenced and analyzed. Upon sequencing of the genes COI, Period, and 28s, our results indicated that L. cuprina from Indiana possess a unique combination of nuclear and mitochondrial haplotypes that suggest a unique lineage, possibly indicating modern hybridization with L. sericata. The inability of both nuclear and mitochondrial genes to distinguish between L. cuprina and L. sericata raises questions about the capabilities of DNA-based species identifications within this genus. Additionally, the inability of these genes to distinguish between specimens that preferred live versus carrion flesh highlights a need for continued research of these behavioral differences. The second study presented here investigated the population structure and relatedness of house flies in the American southwest in relation to a civil lawsuit where neighbors of a poultry farm alleged that flies were emanating from the farm to their homes. Musca domestica (house fly) specimens were collected from the chicken farm and from locations in varying directions and distances from the farm. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis was performed and the data were used in a number of analyses. Population reallocation simulations generally indicated that samples from different locations were not genetically different enough from other locations to allocate to their true origin population over others. Kinship analysis showed differences in samples collected in a later season that indicate a genetic bottleneck over time. Population structure analysis indicated the presence of two intermixing genetic populations in the dataset. AMOVA revealed that the majority of genetic variation laid within, rather than among, populations. A Mantel test revealed no significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances. These results indicate that the M. domestica population in this region of southwestern America is large and intermixing, with no clear genetic distinctions between specimens collected at the poultry farm versus the surrounding locations. In regard to the civil lawsuit, it was not possible to conclude that the flies did not emanate from the poultry farm. In a broader perspective, these data can be utilized to develop pest management strategies in this region. Overall, the data from both studies presented here will be useful to forensic investigations, development of more specific and detailed data and identification techniques, and pest control measures.

Invasive fire ants (Solenopsis invicta and its hybrid with S. richteri) have been reported from carrion in the southeastern United States and are considered a part of the succession community. Alteration of ecological processes by fire ants could affect forensic interpretation of entomological data; therefore, I conducted studies to investigate the relative roles and interactions of fire ants and blow flies in carrion decomposition. The blow fly species composition in Mississippi has not been studied since 16 species were reported in 1983. Specimens from the Mississippi Entomological Museum were used to update the checklist of the blow flies of Mississippi and produce a photographic key to adults and third instar larvae. A total of 23 species of blow flies are now known or expected to occur in the state. I conducted an experiment whereby portions of the succession fauna were excluded from access to carrion to study the relative effects of fire ants and blow flies on carrion decomposition and their interactions with each other. Fire ants made lesions in and partially buried carcasses, but their exclusion did not affect carrion decomposition rates; slightly affected the succession community; and strongly affected succession of blow flies, specifically. Lastly, I collected fire ants from mounds at set distances from carrion and analyzed their guts for pig and blow fly DNA. The probability of detecting pig or blow fly DNA in ants collected directly from carrion increased with each succeeding day, and the probability of detecting either pig or blow fly DNA in ant guts decreased with increasing distance between carrion and the mound. Probability of detecting pig or blow fly DNA in ant guts from ants collected directly from the carcasses was 42% and 33%, respectively. This study documented that fire ants scavenge on carrion, prey on other members of the succession fauna, and transfer acquired nutrients at least 3 m into the landscape. Thus, fire ants represent a barrier to normal faunal succession patterns on carrion and these delays should be considered by forensic entomologists for postmortem interval estimation.

Forensic entomology has become synonymous with medico-legal entomology and involves the use of insects in legal and criminal investigations.  Insects have been used as evidence in cases of wrongful death of humans and in wildlife poaching cases for many years.  The first jail time sentence for wildlife poaching in Manitoba, Canada was awarded after insect evidence was used to create a timeline for the crime.  In the interest of advancing the science of forensic entomology, insect faunal succession was studied on four white-tailed deer carcasses in southwest Virginia in the summers of 2009 and 2010.  The patterns of insect succession between the summers of 2009 and 2010 were similar at ± = 0.05.  Necrophagous insects arrived in a successional pattern as has been observed on other animal models (e.g. pigs) during past studies conducted in southwest Virginia.  To further explore the role of wildlife specific variables to forensic entomology, larvae of Phormia regina, Meigen, were reared on pork and venison in a laboratory at Virginia Tech.  Environmental rearing conditions were 30" C, 75% RH and 14:10 hour light dark cycle.  Significant differences in lengths of 3rd instar and combined overall maggot lengths were found for maggots reared on the different meat sources.  Mean adult weights and wing lengths of venison-reared flies were significantly greater than those reared on pork at ±=0.05. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

Orientador: Aricio Xavier Linhares / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T02:54:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Thyssen_PatriciaJacqueline_D.pdf: 2658711 bytes, checksum: 6ae5d4aeb98843b0a14d74606d3f57c1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: A correta identificação e avaliação da idade de insetos envolvidos com a decomposição de cadáveres é de suma importância para a estimativa do intervalo pós-morte (IPM) na área das ciências forenses, particularmente quando o IPM é baseado em informações sobre o ciclo de vida de insetos necrófagos. Entretanto, a análise destes parâmetros em insetos, especialmente quando se encontram em seus estágios imaturos, é difícil mesmo para taxonomistas bem treinados. Além das minúsculas diferenças morfológicas que há entre várias espécies, algumas variáveis tais como temperatura e substâncias tóxicas podem afetar o seu tempo de desenvolvimento gerando um erro no cálculo do IPM. Entre os insetos envolvidos neste processo, as larvas de dípteros da família Calliphoridae são freqüentemente as mais predominantes consumidoras de carcaça e estão presentes em todos os estágios de decomposição. Assim, este estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar morfologicamente e avaliar o tempo de desenvolvimento e as exigências térmicas das formas imaturas de duas espécies de dípteros em diferentes temperaturas: Hemilucilia segmentaria (Fabricius) e Hemilucilia semidiaphana (Rondani) (Calliphoridae). Todos os experimentos foram realizados em câmaras climáticas com temperaturas controladas em 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 e 35ºC, com fotoperíodo de 12 horas e umidade relativa de 70%. Dieta artificial própria para larvas foi oferecida para que estas completassem seu desenvolvimento. Neste estudo, além da descrição e caracterização morfológica tradicional, também foram utilizadas as técnicas da reação em cadeia da polimerase, associada ao polimorfismo baseado no comprimento do fragmento de restrição (PCR-RFLP), para a identificação das duas espécies / Abstract: The correct identification and age determination of insect species involved in cadaver decomposition is of particular importance in estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI) in forensic sciences, particularly since the PMI is based on information on the life cycle of necrophagous insects. However, the correct identification of several insects species, especially in their immature stages, is difficult even for experienced taxonomists. In addition to the minuscule morphological differences between several species, there are some variables such as temperature and toxic substances that may affect the developmental time of insects, generating errors in the estimate of the PMI. Among the insects that are involved in cadaver decomposition, maggots of blowflies (Calliphoridae) are often the most important consumers of carrion and are present in all stages of decomposition. Thus, this study aimed to characterize morphologically and to evaluate the developmental time and the thermal requirements of the immature stages of two species of blowflies reared in different temperatures: Hemilucilia segmentaria (Fabricius) e Hemilucilia semidiaphana (Rondani) (Calliphoridae). All experiments were done in growth chambers with temperatures set at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35ºC, photophase of 12 hours and relative humidity at 70%. The maggots were reared using an artificial diet for their complete development. In addition to traditional morphological description and characterization of the immatures, the usefulness of the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) to identify the two species mentioned above was also assessed in this study / Doutorado / Parasitologia / Doutor em Parasitologia