The aim of this project was to observe several colonies of Dermestes frischii (one of the most abundant species of the Coleoptera family Dermestidae in Northern Italy) to gain a better understanding of the immature developmental stages and to collect morphometric data on the specimens, all of which could potentially find applications in the forensic field. As matter of fact, within the field of forensic entomology, much effort and interest are put on the observation and research of flies (Diptera), for they are the first insects to sense corpses/carcasses and start visiting them a short time after their exposure and therefore are useful in PMI calculation. The family Dermestidae, which is not predatory and which is actually interested in the carcass itself as a source of food for adult specimens and for their immature stages, feed on dehydrated skin, hair, and cartilage and arrive on the remains when almost all fluids are lost, or when at least some part of them is dehydrated. For this reason, Dermestidae is the only family of Coleoptera whose life cycle occurs entirely on the remains. This makes Dermestes sp. an important indicator of the post mortem interval and for this reason, we carried out a preliminary experiment to collect information on their developmental time under certain conditions; indeed, this is an area of study where exhaustive data are still not present. For this experiment, several colonies of D. frischii were reared in an incubator where the temperature was maintained at 27°C and the humidity at 80%. Eggs, immature stages, pupae and adults were sampled, fixed and measured. The duration of the life cycle was measured in each single stage and in total; mortality was also considered in each stage and overall. The results of this preliminary study have shed light on the morphometry of D. frischii as well as on the number of the immature stages of this species at the experimental temperature. Our next step will be to repeat the experiment at higher and lower temperatures to observe the potentially different responses on the life cycle of D. frischii.
The Life Cycle of Dermestes Frischii (Kugelann, 1792): A Preliminary Study
LAMBIASE, SIMONETTA;
2013-01-01
Abstract
The aim of this project was to observe several colonies of Dermestes frischii (one of the most abundant species of the Coleoptera family Dermestidae in Northern Italy) to gain a better understanding of the immature developmental stages and to collect morphometric data on the specimens, all of which could potentially find applications in the forensic field. As matter of fact, within the field of forensic entomology, much effort and interest are put on the observation and research of flies (Diptera), for they are the first insects to sense corpses/carcasses and start visiting them a short time after their exposure and therefore are useful in PMI calculation. The family Dermestidae, which is not predatory and which is actually interested in the carcass itself as a source of food for adult specimens and for their immature stages, feed on dehydrated skin, hair, and cartilage and arrive on the remains when almost all fluids are lost, or when at least some part of them is dehydrated. For this reason, Dermestidae is the only family of Coleoptera whose life cycle occurs entirely on the remains. This makes Dermestes sp. an important indicator of the post mortem interval and for this reason, we carried out a preliminary experiment to collect information on their developmental time under certain conditions; indeed, this is an area of study where exhaustive data are still not present. For this experiment, several colonies of D. frischii were reared in an incubator where the temperature was maintained at 27°C and the humidity at 80%. Eggs, immature stages, pupae and adults were sampled, fixed and measured. The duration of the life cycle was measured in each single stage and in total; mortality was also considered in each stage and overall. The results of this preliminary study have shed light on the morphometry of D. frischii as well as on the number of the immature stages of this species at the experimental temperature. Our next step will be to repeat the experiment at higher and lower temperatures to observe the potentially different responses on the life cycle of D. frischii.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
