Al-Zahrani Osama, Al-Khalifa Mohammed S, Al-Mekhlafi Fahd A
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Saudi J Biol Sci. 2023 Jul;30(7):103706. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2023.103706. Epub 2023 Jun 15.
Burial has a special influence on carrion fauna, which may change the rate of decomposition and so affect postmortem estimates. This study aimed to identify species and succession of beetles on buried remains. From 28 January to 31 May 2021, we examined the Coleoptera on buried and exposed rabbit carcasses, on the campus of the University of King Saud in an area measured around 175 m by 250 m. The area is almost entirely devoid of flora, except for a few acacia trees and some common wild herbs. It is about 1 km away from residential neighborhoods. In total, 165 specimens belonging to 4 families were collected. The Tenebrionidae was the most abundant family, where it formed 52% at a depth of 20 cm and 78% at a depth of 40 cm in the buried carcasses, while the family Dermestidae was the most abundant in the surface carcasses, as it formed 53% of the insects sampled. Type Solier, 1835 (Tenebrionidae) predominated at exposed carcasses as well as at depths of 20, 40 cm and while type Kugelann, 1792 (Dermestidae), predominated at depth of 40 cm and exposed carcasses, and type (Illiger, 1807) (Hisiteridae) at depth of 20 only. These findings are possibly useful in forensic investigations involving buried bodies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
埋葬对食腐动物群有特殊影响，这可能会改变分解速度，从而影响死后时间推断。本研究旨在确定埋葬遗体上甲虫的种类和演替情况。2021年1月28日至5月31日，我们在沙特国王大学占地约175米×250米的校园内，对埋葬和暴露的兔子尸体上的鞘翅目昆虫进行了检查。该区域除了几棵金合欢树和一些常见的野草外，几乎完全没有植被。它距离居民区约1公里。总共收集了属于4个科的165个标本。拟步甲科是数量最多的科，在埋葬尸体中，它在20厘米深度处占52%，在40厘米深度处占78%，而皮蠹科在暴露尸体中数量最多，占所采样昆虫的53%。1835年的索利尔氏型（拟步甲科）在暴露尸体以及20厘米、40厘米深度处占主导地位，而1792年的库格兰氏型（皮蠹科）在40厘米深度和暴露尸体中占主导地位，1807年的伊利格氏型（阎甲科）仅在20厘米深度处占主导地位。这些发现可能对沙特阿拉伯利雅得涉及埋葬尸体的法医调查有用。
