Coleoptera (Insecta) of forensic interest in Argentina

ADRIANA OLIVA

NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY

Año: 2008

1519-566X

Abstract Records of autopsy samples of insects taken in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the years 1995-2005 are studied in regard to Coleoptera. The frequency of Coleoptera was much lower than that of Diptera. The most frequent family is Dermestidae, the most frequent species, Dermestes maculatus. This is most abundant in summer and autumn and most cases are from indoors corpses. The species D. peruvianus is found only indoors, mainly in the winter and spring. No preference of one species for  a decay stage (buthyric fementation stage or dessicated stage) is apparent. Cleridae and Silphidae occur sparsely; the latter are rural elements but may appear in large parks. Keywords: Forensic entomology, necrophagous Coleoptera, Dermestidae, Silphidae.