Garção-Neto Carlos Henrique, Cortinhas Lucas Barbosa, Mendonça Paloma Martins, Duarte Marina Lopes, Martins Renato Tavares, de Carvalho Queiroz Margareth Maria
Integrated Laboratory: Simulids and Onchocerciasis and Medical and Forensic Entomology (LSOEMF) - Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IOC/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, 21045-900, RJ, Brazil.
Postgraduate Program in Biodiversity and Health, Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, 21045-900, RJ, Brazil.
Sci Rep. 2025 May 27;15(1):18496. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-03647-8.
Diptera plays a pivotal role in forensic investigations, particularly in estimating the post-mortem interval. This can be achieved by analyzing the succession patterns of species on decomposing bodies, which requires detailed knowledge of the local fauna. In rural areas of the Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, forensic entomological succession remains understudied. This study aimed to evaluate the ecological succession of adult and immature dipterans on decomposing pig carcasses in rural areas of Seropédica municipality during dry and rainy seasons, through the threshold indicator taxa analysis (TITAN). For adult dipterans during the rainy season, we identified 25 'Z-' taxa, with change points (cp) between days 4 and 14, while one 'Z+' taxon showed a cp at day 16. During the dry season, 22 'Z-' taxa exhibited cp between days 4 and 1, and one 'Z+' taxon was identified on day 13. Among immature dipterans, we identified 3 'Z-' taxa with cp between days 9 and 16, while 2 'Z+' taxa showed cp. at days 5 and 21.5. Our findings provide valuable insights for forensic professionals by offering continuous ecological change point analysis, which help address the challenges of interpreting heterogeneous decomposition stages, which are often difficult to delineate in forensic casework.
双翅目在法医调查中起着关键作用，尤其是在估计死后间隔时间方面。这可以通过分析尸体分解过程中物种的演替模式来实现，而这需要对当地动物群有详细的了解。在巴西里约热内卢州的农村地区，法医昆虫学演替仍未得到充分研究。本研究旨在通过阈值指示分类群分析（TITAN），评估塞罗佩迪卡市农村地区旱季和雨季猪尸体分解过程中成年和未成熟双翅目的生态演替。在雨季，对于成年双翅目，我们识别出25个“Z-”分类群，在第4天至第14天之间有变化点（cp），而一个“Z+”分类群在第16天出现变化点。在旱季，22个“Z-”分类群在第4天至第1天之间出现变化点，在第13天识别出一个“Z+”分类群。在未成熟双翅目中，我们识别出3个“Z-”分类群，在第9天至第16天之间有变化点，而2个“Z+”分类群在第5天和第21.5天出现变化点。我们的研究结果通过提供连续的生态变化点分析，为法医专业人员提供了有价值的见解，有助于应对解释异质分解阶段的挑战，而这些阶段在法医案件工作中往往难以界定。
