title: The Use of the Developmental Rate of the Aquatic Midge Chironomus riparius (Diptera, Chironomidae) in the Assessment of the Postsubmersion Interval.
abstract: Nonbiting midges (Diptera, Chironomidae) are the most abundant members of the fauna associated with submerged carcasses, but their use in the medicolegal context is very restricted because of their complex ontogeny. In this case, the corpse of a woman was recovered in late spring from a river in Granada (Iberian Peninsula). It showed obvious signs of long permanence in the aquatic environment and, along with pulmonary and microscopical analyses, led to the conclusion that the cause of death was drowning. Several larvae-like specimens were sampled from the scalp and later identified by morphological external features as IV instar larvae of Chironomus riparius Meigen, 1804 (Diptera, Chironomidae). Sequencing of cytochrome oxidase subunit I was performed to confirm the identification. The knowledge of the biology of C. riparius at low temperatures was critical to assess a postsubmersion interval of 16-17 days.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine of Granada, Avenida de la Innovación, 1, 18007, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González Medina
authors.forename: Óscar
authors.initials: Ó
authors.lastname: Soriano Hernando
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jiménez Ríos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002683:Chironomidae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D004332:Drowning / Q000175:diagnosis; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D004772:Entomology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D007101:Immersion; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011180:Postmortem Changes
chemical_list: D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV
keywords: Chironomidae; Chironomus riparius; drowning; forensic entomology; forensic science; postmortem changes; postmortem interval