Is Forensic Entomology Lost in Space?

Insects

Département de Biologie, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB E1A 3E9, Canada.

Published: December 2021

AI Article Synopsis

  • Spatial and scale effects have been largely overlooked in forensic entomology, despite their significant impact on insect larval development and succession on cadavers.
  • The study utilized techniques like smoothing/interpolation and semivariograms to analyze the spatial dynamics of important forensic insects in the Greater Moncton area, revealing differing patterns of species aggregation.
  • Findings suggest that spatial dynamics in these insect species operate at various scales and are influenced by multiple factors, highlighting the need for integrating spatial analysis into forensic entomology for practical problem-solving.

Article Abstract

Spatial and scale effects have barely been considered in forensic entomology, despite their pervasive influence on most of the parameters affecting the development of insect larval stages and the progression of insect succession on cadavers. Here, we used smoothing/interpolation techniques and semivariograms to document the spatial dynamics of sarcosaprophageous , an important forensic taxon, in the Greater Moncton area in New Brunswick, Canada. Results indicated that the spatial dynamics of differed between species, some species showing strong patterns of regional aggregation while others did not. Multivariate spatial correlations indicated that interspecific relationships in space varied widely, ranging from local and large-scale aggregation to spatial anticorrelation between species. Overall, this study suggested that even within a restricted timescale, the spatial dynamics of can operate at many scales, manifest in different patterns, and be attributed to multiple different causes. We stress that forensic entomology has much to benefit from the use of spatial analysis because many important forensic questions, both at the fundamental and practical levels, require a spatial solution.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8778292PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects13010011DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

forensic entomology
12
spatial dynamics
12
spatial
8
forensic
5
entomology lost
4
lost space?
4
space? spatial
4
spatial scale
4
scale effects
4
effects barely
4

Similar Publications

Sexual mosaics in Simuliidae members have been detected at low frequencies in various locations worldwide. These phenotypic expressions are expected in very small amounts in any natural insect population and may result from inherent individual formation factors, such as hormonal or external elements, i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The range of the oriental latrine fly (Chrysomya megacephala) is currently expanding. It coexists with another blowfly with a similar ecology, the green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata), one of the most abundant species in carrion during warm months. It is essential to understand the influence of temperature, larval substrate type, and larval competition on the development rates of these necrophagous calliphorids to evaluate the role and the adaptation of C.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The house fly, Musca domestica, L. (Diptera: Muscidae), is a filth fly that is often associated with criminal and civil investigations surrounding abuse, neglect, and death of humans and other vertebrates. However, development data, which are crucial for determining the age of immatures collected under forensically relevant circumstances, are limited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Necrophagous blow flies are a commonly used forensic tool to estimate the minimum postmortem interval (PMI), where researchers collect development data under constant temperature regimes and construct models to estimate PMI. However, the ambient temperatures of real death scenes are often fluctuant, which limits the reliability of data obtained under constant temperature regimes. Here we investigate the possible differences in the development of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), an important species in forensic entomology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Biological control in integrated pest management (IPM) often overlooked avian predators until the emergence of the ecosystem services approach. Birds are now recognized as key regulators of pest populations in agroforestry landscapes due to their high mobility. The invasive yellow-legged hornet, introduced into Europe in 2004, threatens agriculture, beekeeping and native pollinators.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!