• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1400-1409
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• 2008

This study was carried out to offer the forensic entomological evidence to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI) based on the decomposing state of the pig carrion and the arthropod succession in exposed carrion. A total of 48 species of 28 families belonging to 7 orders were collected, and dominant insect varied with season, i. e., the Calliphoridae in March, May and October, both of the Calliphoridae and the Staphylinidae in July, and the Staphylinidae in September. The Calliphoridae was the first visiting insect throughout all the seasons as well as the index insect dominant in the early decomposing stage. The index insect in the later decomposing stage, however, was the Staphylinidae throughout all the seasons except in March. In March, the Muscidae was dominant, presumably because the flies consistently arrived throughout the extended period of decomposition of the carrion owing to the low ambient temperature of the season. In this connection, it is known that not only the decomposition stage of the carrion and the carrion-associated insect but also the climatological condition of the region have to be taken into consideration to estimate the PMI.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.1168-1175
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• 2011

This study was carried out to offer forensic entomological evidence to estimate the post mortem interval (PMI) based on the arthropod succession in pig carrions and carrion decomposition patterns varying with the exposed extent of the carrions. Four carrions, exposed, wrapped, covered or shaded, were placed in an open grassland near the Nakdong-river in Busan in August, 2010. It was found that the first visiting insect was Chrysomyia megacephala among a total of 20 species of 15 families belonging to 7 orders of Insecta, and that four species were useful indicators of the decomposition stage of the carrion: C. megacephala for I~V stages; a species of Sepsidae, Creophilus maxillosus and a species of Carabidae for III~V stages. It was also found that the more the exposed extent of exposure of carrions, the higher the rate of decomposition of carrions, i. e. the time for decomposition of carrions were 7days for the exposed carrion, 10days for the covered one, 13days for the shaded one, and 15days for the wrapped one. This result seems to be related to the differences in the weight loss of carrions caused by strong rains during the research period and by the accessibility of insects to the carrions; both are strongly affected by the exposed extent of the carrions. Accordingly, it was suggested that the exposed extent of the carrions must be taken into consideration to estimate the PMI.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.185-188
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• 2008

A possible rapid biodegradation of abandoned livestock was tested by using the dead pig and chicken. The dead pig (36kg) was completely decomposed after 23 days of placement in the open field during June 2007. When the door of a cage in which a dead chicken (3.4kg) was placed was opened, a lot of flies were attracted to the chicken and layed eggs on the chicken. As the result the chicken was decomposed down to 0.6kg after 6 days of placement in the open field, On the other hand when the door was closed, the decomposition was very slow. The chicken weighed 3.0kg even after 6 days. An experiment conducted during October 2007 showed that decomposition speed depended on the number of inoculated flies. When 50 pairs of Lucilia sericata flies were inoculated to 3.2kg chicken, it was decomposed down to 1.0kg after 22 days in the field. However, when 200 female and 100 male flies were inoculated, the 3.4kg chicken was decomposed to 0.8kg after 11 days in the field. A 10,858 pupae (371.2g) was produced from the latter chicken. These pupae may possibly be used as a feed for fish and fowl. From these results it is considered that further research is needed to commercialize the blow flies for the rapid decomposition of an abandoned livestock of diverse size under diverse environment.