Entomological Contributions to the Legal System in Southeastern Spain
Abstract
:Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Cases Presentation
2.1. Morphological and Faunistic Studies
- Case 1. A partly burned woman corpse was found in the early morning hours on the side of a road in the province of Murcia at the end of March. The police agents did not recover any entomological evidence but made an excellent graphic report from which different fly images could be studied. From these images (Figure 1)., and once magnified, Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819) was identified on the basis of our own experience and the dark hind stripe of the abdominal terga [36].Former faunistic studies [12,13] indicated that this species is the most common in the area, and efforts were directed to solving the case on the basis of this finding. None of the pictures revealed anything consistent with signs of activity of insects, such as eggs or larvae. According to what could be observed, the remains appeared to represent a fresh stage (despite having been superficially burned), suggesting a recent death. Because previous knowledge of fauna related to corpses in the area had pointed to a secondary character of Ch. albiceps, we consider the possibility that there could have also been some other, not graphically illustrated, activity of primary species. Nevertheless, and in agreement with Avila and Goff [37] and Pai et al. [38], who indicated that Chrysomya sp. can act as primary fly in burnt corpses, it could be concluded that the remains had been exposed for a short period. This conclusion was consistent with eyewitness testimony of a bonfire taking place in the location the same morning. The subsequent enquiry confirmed this conclusion.
- Case 2. García et al. [1] report the case of an unidentified mummified corpse found in a rural area of difficult access in Murcia province at the end of August. The police agents recovered some entomological evidence in situ from the corpse itself and below it, but this evidence was inadequate, and, as a result, two entomologists had to recover additional evidence from the corpse at the place where it was guarded. Among this evidence, a number of small fly pupae and puparia were studied. They could be identified as belonging to Piophila megastigmata McAlpine, 1978 on the basis of the already-existing morphological study of preimaginal stages of this species that allowed the identification of the found pupae thanks to the very wrinkled tegument (25–30 wrinkles, or even more, per abdominal segment) [29]. This finding represented the first report of such species on a corpse in Spain, and its presence was considered to estimate the PMI. For this purpose, a faunistic study of Diptera performed in the geographical area [39] was considered. This study stated that P. megastigmata could be present on corpses since the beginning of May. Given that the main question in the inquiry was whether the person had died on dates close to disappearance or at a later time, our findings were consistent with death likely occurring by the date of disappearance (at the end of May). Further details on the recovered fauna and the estimation of PMI can be found in García et al. [1].
2.2. Faunistic Succession and Developmental Data
- Case 3. This old case (2001) was initially referred to by Arnaldos et al. [14], but some of its results were later revised in light of new scientific findings (see below) that allowed properly referring to some taxa initially misidentified or simply not identified.The corpse of a homeless man was found in the middle of November at the bottom of a dry pot with some still water, next to Murcia City. The corpse was partially clothed and showed an incised wound in the abdomen. A recovery of entomological evidence was performed because two samples (one fixed and one alive) were provided from the autopsy procedure, although the larvae had been fixed in boiling ethanol. The fixed sample consisted of larvae of Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (LIII), Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) (LII, II-III, and III), Chrysomya albiceps (LI-II and II), Muscina stabulans (Fallén, 1826) (LII, II-III, and III), Synthesiomya nudiseta (Wulp, 1883) (LII, II-III, and III) and Sarcophaga argyrostoma (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830), Phoridae (adults, pupae, and LI and II),and an Acari unidentified. The living sample was kept in an incubator in the laboratory, where adults of several species (Ch. albiceps, L. sericata, S. nudiseta, and Phoridae) were obtained.Most larvae of the fixed sample were initially identified considering Smith [44,45], Reiter [46], and Greenberg [47]. At the moment of the expertise, S. nudiseta specimens were not identified at the specific level, and, in the case of Sarcophagidae larvae, accurate identification was impossible due to the lack of appropriate keys at that moment. The identifications of larvae were recently reexamined in light of findings from Velásquez et al. [48] mainly for S. nudiseta, Grzywacz et al. [49] for Muscina and Szpila et al. [50], and Ubero-Pascal et al. [28] for Sarcophagidae and confirmed the identification provided in the previous paragraph. Adults Calliphoridae were identified according to González-Mora and Peris [36] and Peris and González-Mora [51]. In the case of S. nudiseta, a first approach was made using keys from Gregor et al. (2002) [52] (they do not include that species) and later checked with the identified larvae and confirmed with Pont [53].In this forensic case, the recovered fauna fits with those characteristic of autumn in Murcia, formerly studied by Arnaldos et al. [13]. The corpse presented one open wound, which allowed the implication that the oviposition could have occurred immediately after death, in particular for C. vicina and L. sericata, primary species present on the corpses from the first day [12,13] in the region and that is known can coexist [54,55]. The species, as a whole, have been considered as belonging to the first waves of arthropods visiting a corpse [56]. Taking into account the oldest larvae of the primary species (C. vicina and L. sericata) and the mean temperatures registered in the area (at around 15 °C), and according to developmental data due to different authors, [57] among them, the PMIm was estimated to be 11–17 days before the corpse was found. Despite the newly identified taxa, similar conclusions to previous ones were reached because these were based on L. sericata and C. vicina developmental data.
- Case 4. A male corpse was found at a home in Yecla (Murcia province) in the middle of September. The corpse was partly clothed and appeared to have been attacked by an animal, likely a dog. The man was last seen alive about 15 days earlier. Entomological evidence was recovered during the autopsy procedure and consisted of an adult female, three pupae, and several puparia of Chrysomya albiceps, one adult specimen of Necrobia rufipes (De Geer, 1875), and only five larvae, well developed, of Dermestes sp. (Figure 2).The best available evidence to estimate the PMI would be Ch. albiceps (for identification keys see above) that had clearly come to the end of its cycle. This species is the most common and abundant at the end of summer and during autumn [12]. Therefore, its presence in the corpse is congruent with the circumstances of the case. Taking into account the mean temperatures in Yecla during those days (20–25 °C) and developmental data of the species from several authors [58] and [59] among them, a PMI of around the time when the man was last seen alive was estimated. The fact of being inside a home was not considered relevant because the windows were open. Thus, it was reasonable to assume that the inside temperature was heavily influenced by the outside one.
- Case 5. A male corpse was found inside an abandoned old factory in Murcia province at the end of April. Entomological evidence was recovered during the autopsy procedure. As supplementary evidence, a complete graphical report was provided by the medical examiner in which abundant entomological specimens could be observed. The decedent was last seen alive about one month and a half earlier. The evidence consisted of four different samples, two of them directly fixed in ethanol (one from the clothes and the other from the body itself) and two being alive (one from the clothes and the other from the body). The fixed samples included Synthesiomya nudiseta (pupae), Chrysomya albiceps (LI, II, and III and pupae), Piophila megastigmata (pupae and adults), Dermestes frischi Kugel, 1892 (adults and larvae), and adults of Necrobia rufipes and Histeridae (Saprinus sp.). (Figure 3) Diptera species were identified as indicated above. Coleoptera species were identified according to Bajerlein et al. [60] and Hackston [61].From the living samples, kept at the lab, Lucilia sericata, Chrysomya albiceps, Phoridae, Chalcidoidea, and some unidentified Muscidae were obtained. The overall evidence was consistent with the sarcosaprophagous fauna characteristic of the season in the area [13] and suggested an advanced decomposition stage because Piophilidae, Dermestidae, and Histeridae, as well as aged preimaginal stages of Diptera, were present. Among all the taxa present, the most valuable for PMI estimation purposes were Ch. albiceps, of which some pupae were recovered. Adults emerged at the lab only two days after being kept in the incubator, suggesting that the pupae were very close to the end of the cycle. Taking into account the mean temperatures during the considered period (13.2 °C during March and 15 °C during April) and developmental available data (see former Case), a PMIm consistent with the last time in which the decedent was seen alive was estimated.
- Case 6. A male corpse was found in an arid outdoor environment of Murcia province at the end of September. Entomological evidence recovered during the autopsy procedure was provided. Upon the request of the Forensic Entomology team, the medical examiner provided supplementary entomological evidence, proceeding of the moment of the corpse removal, and a graphical report, the latter providing an illustration of the dry decomposition stage of the corpse. The evidence from the autopsy consisted of two containers, one containing living specimens and the other individuals fixed in 80% ethanol. The evidence collected in situ consisted of one container with individuals that, although kept alive first, died at an unknown time and were preserved in 80% ethanol. The living sample was opened at the breeding lab, where it was found not to contain preimaginal stages of Diptera. This sample contained adults of Necrobia rufipes and Histeridae and adults and larvae of Dermestes frischi. The fixed sample from the autopsy contained adults of Chrysomya albiceps, Cataglyphis sp., and Histeridae and larvae of Sarcophaga sp. (LIII), Lucilia sericata (LIII), Piophilidae (LIII), and Dermestidae. The overall evidence is consistent with the dry stage of the corpse because Dermestidae larvae are characteristics of such stage, as well as N. rufipes and LIII of Piophilidae [62]). Aged larvae of Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae were seen as residual elements because it is more likely that they had completed their developmental cycle at the time that the evidence was recovered. In this case, the PMI estimation was performed on the basis of developmental data of Dermestes species as described by Martín-Vega et al. [63] and considering the environmental temperatures of the site during the summer (about 25–27 °C as a mean), concluding a period of about 23 days from the oviposition. According to Arnaldos et al. [13], during the summer season, adults of Dermestes are present on a corpse from Day 7 onwards, and larvae were recorded from Day 22, reaching a maximum around Day 37. Thus, a PMIm of about 30 days was estimated.
- Case 7. A male corpse was found inside his home in Jumilla (Murcia province), lying on the ground and wrapped in a blanket, on November 19.According to the testimonies, the man was last seen alive on November 8. Entomological evidence was collected during the removal of the body and from the autopsy procedure. In addition, a graphical report was provided. The evidence consisted of four containers, two of them with living larvae, one with adult specimens dead and dry, and the other with immature specimens in 70% ethanol. The two living samples were introduced in an incubator chamber and kept at a temperature of 25 °C and a RH of 60%. Most specimens had pupated in about 10–13 days, and the adults emerged about one month later. The emerged adults belonged to Calliphora vicina, Sarcophaga argyrostoma (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) and Chrysomya albiceps. Meanwhile, the dead and fixed samples contained C. vicina, L. sericata, Ch. albiceps, S. nudiseta, and Polistes gallicus (Linnaeus 1767), as well as larvae II and III of Sarcophagidae (probably S. argyrostoma because the emerged adults belonged to this species) and abundant unidentified Diptera eggs and young larvae. From an in-depth study of the graphical report, it could be deduced the existence of abundant evidence on the blanket wrapping the corpse, in particular on the areas where fluid loss had occurred, as well as in contact with the body surface. There was no evidence on the head (eyes, mouth, etc.). The overall evidence was dominated by Diptera species that are common during the season [13]. A period of about seven days was estimated on the basis of the development of C. vicina and S. argyrostoma, to which the most aged larvae belonged, according to data reported in [57] and [64]. The mean outdoor temperatures at those days oscillated between 11 and 16 °C. A more accurate PMIm could not be estimated because no data on environmental indoor conditions were provided. Moreover, the fact of the house being closed, with windows and shutters also closed, must have made it difficult for the insects to access the corpse. Thus, it was considered reasonable to add a minimum period of three days, following the experience of Goff [65], to estimate the PMIm. This delay (colonization period) was considered on the basis of the circumstances of the scene (completely sealed building and the corpse wrapped) when compared with data from Goff [65], who stated a delay of two and a half days in the colonization of a corpse also wrapped but exposed at much higher mean environmental temperatures (20.5–23.8 °C) than in our case (11–16 °C). Therefore, an additional half-day was considered to estimate a minimum colonization period, as stated above. All considered, allowed us to conclude that death occurred around the day of the decedent’s disappearance.
3. Discussion
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Arnaldos, M.-I.; García, M.-D. Entomological Contributions to the Legal System in Southeastern Spain. Insects 2021, 12, 429. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050429
Arnaldos M-I, García M-D. Entomological Contributions to the Legal System in Southeastern Spain. Insects. 2021; 12(5):429. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050429
Chicago/Turabian StyleArnaldos, María-Isabel, and María-Dolores García. 2021. "Entomological Contributions to the Legal System in Southeastern Spain" Insects 12, no. 5: 429. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050429