Midgley John M, Villet Martin H
Southern African Forensic Entomology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
Int J Legal Med. 2009 Jul;123(4):285-92. doi: 10.1007/s00414-008-0280-0. Epub 2008 Sep 9.
Thanatophilus micans is capable of finding corpses at least as quickly as most fly species and, as the most widespread species of the Silphidae in Africa, offers a useful model for estimating post-mortem interval. Larvae were reared at ten constant temperatures from 15 degrees C to 35 degrees C and their length measured at 4, 8, or 12-h intervals depending on their instar. Length generally increased with increased rearing temperature, but decreased at extremely high temperatures. Note was made of the age at which individuals progressed past developmental milestones. Development took longer at lower temperatures. These results are presented as a combined isomegalen and isomorphen diagram. Developmental constants were generated for each milestone using major axis regression. Developmental threshold values did not differ significantly between milestones. Development took longer than in blow flies, but was faster than in Dermestidae. The three models presented here, therefore, cover an important time frame in estimating minimum PMI once fly larvae have matured to the point of leaving a corpse, and, therefore, provide a tool that was not previously available to forensic entomologists.
米氏葬甲能够至少像大多数蝇类一样迅速找到尸体，并且作为非洲埋葬甲科分布最广的物种，它为估计死后间隔时间提供了一个有用的模型。幼虫在15摄氏度至35摄氏度的十个恒定温度下饲养，并根据龄期每隔4、8或12小时测量其体长。体长一般随饲养温度的升高而增加，但在极高温度下会下降。记录了个体达到发育里程碑的年龄。在较低温度下发育所需时间更长。这些结果以等大幼虫长度和同形态图的组合形式呈现。使用主轴回归为每个里程碑生成发育常数。发育阈值在各里程碑之间没有显著差异。其发育时间比丽蝇长，但比皮蠹科快。因此，这里提出的三种模型涵盖了估计最小死后间隔时间的一个重要时间框架，即一旦蝇类幼虫成熟到离开尸体的阶段，从而提供了一种法医昆虫学家以前没有的工具。
