title: Searching the soil: forensic importance of edaphic fauna after the removal of a corpse.
abstract: Arthropods at different stages of development collected from human remains in an advanced stage of decomposition (following autopsy) and from the soil at the scene are reported. The corpse was found in a mixed deciduous forest of Biscay (northern Spain). Soil fauna was extracted by sieving the soil where the corpse lay and placing the remains in Berlese-Tullgren funnels. Necrophagous fauna on the human remains was dominated by the fly Piophilidae: Stearibia nigriceps (Meigen, 1826), mites Ascidae: Proctolaelaps epuraeae (Hirschmann, 1963), Laelapidae: Hypoaspis (Gaeolaelaps) aculeifer (Canestrini, 1884), and the beetle Cleridae: Necrobia rufipes (de Geer, 1775). We confirm the importance of edaphic fauna, especially if the deceased is discovered in natural environs. Related fauna may remain for days after corpse removal and reveal information related to the circumstances of death. The species Nitidulidae: Omosita depressa (Linnaeus, 1758), Acaridae: Sancassania berlesei (Michael, 1903), Ascidae: Zerconopsis remiger (Kramer, 1876) and P. epuraeae, Urodinychidae: Uroobovella pulchella (Berlese, 1904), and Macrochelidae: Glyptholaspis americana (Berlese, 1888) were recorded for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula.
authors.affiliation: Department de Zoología y Biología Celular Animal, Facultad Ciencia y Tecnología, UPV-EHU, Campus de Leioa, Barrio de Sarriena s/n, E-48940 Bilbao, Spain. m.salona@ehu.es
authors.forename: Marta I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Saloña
authors.forename: M Lourdes
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Moraza
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carles-Tolrá
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Iraola
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bahillo
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yélamos
authors.forename: Raimundo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Outerelo
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alcaraz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods; D004772:Entomology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012987:Soil; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D012987:Soil