NCJ Number
130207
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 36 Issue: 3 Dated: (May 1991) Pages: 748-753
Date Published
1991
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Different insect populations associated with decomposing remains were examined in indoor and outdoor environments in the Hawaiian Islands through analyses of cases from the Forensic Entomology Laboratory, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu from 1983 through May 1990.
Abstract
Over 60 cases were referred to the laboratory by the Department of the Medical Examiner for determination of the postmortem interval. Of these, 14 were indoor situations and presented sufficient data to allow comparison. The confirmed postmortem interval ranged from 2 to 21 days in these cases. Twenty-one cases were selected from the outdoor situations in which the postmortem intervals corresponded to those of the indoor ones for comparison of insect species present and the numbers of taxa present. A total of 22 insects, representing 3 orders and 12 families, were recovered from the decomposing remains of the 35 cases considered. Of these, five were recovered in both indoor and outdoor situations. A wide variety of Diptera species were associated with indoor colonizations during the initial stages of decomposition, whereas other Diptera appeared late in the process. In contrast, outdoor situations had fewer Coleoptera species in the beginning of the process, 10 species in 6 families were recovered outdoors. Significant differences in the insect colonization of remains in indoor and outdoor situations can provide useful information about the history of the remains. 4 tables and 7 references (Author abstract modified)