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Cited by 106Forensic Entomology and Diptera StudiesDiptera species taxonomy and behaviorInsect behavior and control techniques

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Effect of body mass and clothing on carrion entomofauna

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Matuszewski, Szymon, Frątczak, Katarzyna, Konwerski, Szymon, Bajerlein, Daria, Szpila, Krzysztof, Jarmusz, Mateusz, Szafałowicz, Michał, Grzywacz, Andrzej, Mądra, Anna·2016·International Journal of Legal Medicine
DOI 10.1007/s00414-015-1145-yPMC PMC4712242
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Abstract

Carcass mass largely affects pattern and rate of carrion decomposition. Supposedly, it is similarly important for carrion entomofauna; however, most of its likely effects have not been tested experimentally. Here, simultaneous effects of carcass mass and clothing are analyzed. A factorial block experiment with four levels of carcass mass (small carcasses 5-15 kg, medium carcasses 15.1-30 kg, medium/large carcasses 35-50 kg, large carcasses 55-70 kg) and two levels of carcass clothing (clothed and unclothed) was made in a grassland habitat of Western Poland. Pig carcasses (N = 24) were grouped into spring, early summer, and late summer blocks. Insects were sampled manually and with pitfall traps. Results demonstrate that insect assemblages are more complex, abundant, and long-lasting on larger carcasses, whereas clothing is of minor importance in this respect. Only large or medium/large carcasses were colonized by all guilds of carrion insects, while small or medium carcasses revealed high underrepresentation of late-colonizing insects (e.g., Cleridae or Nitidulidae). This finding indicates that carcasses weighing about 23 kg-a standard in forensic decomposition studies-give an incomplete picture of carrion entomofauna. Residencies of all forensically relevant insects were distinctly prolonged on larger carcasses, indicating that cadaver mass is a factor of great importance in this respect. The pre-appearance interval of most taxa was found to be unrelated to mass or clothing of a carcass. Moreover, current results suggest that rate of larval development is higher on smaller carcasses. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that carcass mass is a factor of crucial importance for carrion entomofauna, whereas the importance of clothing is small.

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  • Other studies found no significant impact of clothing on decomposition.

    “However, other studies found no significant impact on decomposition [164] or on vulture feeding pattern and scattering [62].”

    From Forensic experiments on animal scavenging: A systematic literature review on what we have and what we need (2023) · cites this paper as [164]

    The Introduction says clothing has a rather minor effect on the pattern and rate of pig-carcass decomposition. But this paper’s own finding of insignificant or minor clothing effects, reported in the Discussion, concerns carrion insects rather than decomposition itself. It therefore does not directly establish that clothing had no significant impact on decomposition. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Metadata

Authors
Matuszewski, S., Frątczak, K., Konwerski, S., Bajerlein, D., Szpila, K., Jarmusz, M., Szafałowicz, M., Grzywacz, A., & Mądra, A.
Affiliations
  • Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (PL)
  • Nicolaus Copernicus University (PL)
Corresponding author
Matuszewski, Szymon
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Legal Medicine
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2015-01-27
Volume
130
Issue
1
Pages
221-232
ISSN
  • 0044-3433 (ISSN-L)
  • 0937-9827
  • 1437-1596
DOI
10.1007/s00414-015-1145-y
PMC
PMC4712242
OpenAlex
W2022314920
Cited by
106
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 2
FWCI
9.15
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • International Journal of Legal Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Diptera species taxonomy and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Insect behavior and control techniques
Keywords
carcass mass, clothing, pig carcasses, carrion decomposition, forensic entomology, insect colonization, insect guilds, larval development, grassland
MeSH terms
Animals, Body Weight, Clothing, Entomology, Feeding Behavior, Insecta, Postmortem Changes, Swine, Models, Animal, Forensic Pathology

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