title: Study of insect succession and rate of decomposition on a partially burned pig carcass in an oil palm plantation in Malaysia.
abstract: Insects found associated with corpse can be used as one of the indicators in estimating postmortem interval (PMI). The objective of this study was to compare the stages of decomposition and faunal succession between a partially burnt pig (Sus scrofa Linnaeus) and natural pig (as control). The burning simulated a real crime whereby the victim was burnt by murderer. Two young pigs weighed approximately 10 kg were used in this study. Both pigs died from pneumonia and immediately placed in an oil palm plantation near a pig farm in Tanjung Sepat, Selangor, Malaysia. One pig was partially burnt by 1-liter petrol while the other served as control. Both carcasses were visited twice per day for the first week and once thereafter. Adult flies and larvae on the carcasses were collected and later processed in a forensic entomology laboratory. Results showed that there was no significant difference between the rate of decomposition and sequence of faunal succession on both pig carcasses. Both carcasses were completely decomposed to remain stage after nine days. The species of flies visiting the pig carcasses consisted of blow flies (Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya rufifacies, Hemipyrellia ligurriens), flesh fly (Sarcophagidae.), muscid fly (Ophyra spinigera), soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), coffin fly (Phoridae) and scavenger fly (Sepsidae). The only difference noted was in the number of adult flies, whereby more flies were seen in the control carcass. Faunal succession on both pig carcasses was in the following sequence: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, Phoridae and lastly Stratiomyidae. However, there was overlap in the appearance of members of these families. Blowflies continued to oviposit on both carcasses. Hence postmortem interval (PMI) can still be estimated from the partially burnt pig carcass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology & Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Chong Chin
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Abdullah Marwi
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mohamad
authors.forename: Firdaus Mohd Salleh
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeffery
authors.forename: Hiromu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurahashi
authors.forename: Baharudin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Omar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature; D004175:Diptera / Q000502:physiology*; D004772:Entomology; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D010058:Oviposition; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010938:Plant Oils; D000073878:Palm Oil