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26 May 2017 Effect of Temperature on the Survival and Development of Three Forensically Relevant Dermestes Species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)
Daniel Martín-Vega, Luisa M. Díaz-Aranda, Arturo Baz, Blanca Cifrián
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Abstract

Most Dermestes species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) are scavengers during both larval and adult stages, with a preference for dry organic matter. Because of this, Dermestes beetles are potentially useful indicators in forensic investigations concerning skeletonized and mummified human remains. However, there is a paucity of reference developmental data on most forensically relevant Dermestes species. This study analyses the effect of five constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C) on the survival and developmental rates of three of the forensically most relevant dermestids: Dermestes frischii Kugelan, Dermestes maculatus De Geer, and Dermestes undulatus Brahm. Pig skin was used as rearing substrate, to use a substrate as similar as possible to that exploited in nature. Overall, the temperature had a significant effect on the survival and the duration of development, with optimal values at intermediate temperatures. Both D. frischii and D. maculatus showed similar developmental rates and the shortest developmental times at 30 °C, whereas D. undulatus developed faster at lower temperatures. At 15 °C, both D. frischii and D. undulatus did not oviposit, whereas no D. maculatus individuals survived beyond the pupal stage. An inconsistent number of larval instars per individual were observed across different constant temperatures in the three species. The present study aims to provide baseline developmental data for further advances in the potential use of Dermestes beetles as forensic tools in long postmortem interval cases.

© The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
Daniel Martín-Vega, Luisa M. Díaz-Aranda, Arturo Baz, and Blanca Cifrián "Effect of Temperature on the Survival and Development of Three Forensically Relevant Dermestes Species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)," Journal of Medical Entomology 54(5), 1140-1150, (26 May 2017). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjx110
Received: 31 March 2017; Accepted: 8 May 2017; Published: 26 May 2017
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KEYWORDS
dry remain
forensic entomology
postmortem interval
skeletonization
stored product
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