Puparia cleaning techniques for forensic and archaeo-funerary studies

Diptera puparia may represent both in forensic and archaeo-funerary contexts the majority of the entomological evidence useful to reconstruct the peri and post-mortem events. Puparia identification is quite difficult due to the lack of identification keys and descriptions. In addition, external substances accumulated during the puparia permanence in the environment make the visualization of the few diagnostic characters difficult, resulting in a wrong identification. Six different techniques based on physical and chemical treatments have been tested for the removal of external substances from puparia to make identification at species level feasible. Furthermore, the effects of these methods on successful molecular analyses have also been tested as molecular identification is becoming an important tool to complement morphological identifications. The results of this study indicate that cleaning via warm water/soap, the sonication and treatment with a sodium hydroxide solution are the best methods to achieve a good quality of the samples

DNA characterization from gut content of larvae of Megaselia scalaris (Diptera, Phoridae)

none6si---mixedMukherjee S.; Singh P.; Tuccia F.; Pradelli J.; Giordani G.; Vanin S.Mukherjee S.; Singh P.; Tuccia F.; Pradelli J.; Giordani G.; Vanin S

Morphological and molecular characterization of puparia of Piophilidae species of forensic relevance

Piophilidae are a small family of Diptera with a worldwide distribution and which are historically associated with human activities. In addition to their economic importance, piophilid larvae can also be of medical and legal relevance. Within a medicolegal context, piophilids are frequently associated with cadavers in advanced stages of decomposition, thus being potentially useful forensic indicators and they have been reported also from archaeo-funerary contexts. An accurate species identification is therefore an essential prerequisite to ensure the reliable analysis of insect material in medical, forensic and archaeological investigations. Identification of the adult piophilid flies is possible because of the availability of identification keys, in contrast immature insects, especially puparia, have been poorly investigated and described. In this paper, puparia of 11 species of forensic interest (Piophila casei, Piophila megastigmata, Parapiophila atrifrons, Parapiophila flavipes, Parapiophila vulgaris, Protopiophila litigata, Liopiophila varipes, Prochyliza nigrimana, Prochyliza xanthosoma and Stearibia nigriceps in subtribe Piophilina and Centrophlebomyia furcata in subtribe Thyreophorina) are described and a molecular analysis, based on the COI sequencing, is presented to show the potential of the molecular approach in their identification

Environmental necrophagous fauna selection in a funerary hypogeal context: The putridarium of the Franciscan monastery of Azzio (northern Italy)

8Insects play a fundamental role in the removal and recycling of the organic matter from human cadavers and animal carcasses. Several factors can affect both the cadaver decomposition and colonisation by insects and other animals. Accessibility to the body is one of these factors. The archaeological, anthropological and entomological investigations conducted inside the Crypt of the Franciscan Monastery in Azzio (Varese, northern Italy) allowed the reconstitution of the funerary practices used by a Franciscan community between the 17th and 18th centuries and provides a good example of necrophagous entomo-fauna selection. Human remains were found in the putridarium chamber, a semicircular room with sixteen narrow and semicircular niches, where bodies were located until the complete decomposition of the soft tissues. Numerous puparia were collected from the bones, the clothes and the niche walls. The majority belonged to Hydrotaea capensis (Diptera: Muscidae) and a few puparia of scuttle flies in the family Phoridae were detected among the studied material. Fragments of beetles in the families Staphylinidae and Cryptophagidae were also sampled. The entomological findings clearly support the hypothesis that the bodies were quickly transferred into the crypt after death and that the specific hypogeal (subterranean) environment selected the entomofauna community composition. The observations here reported with similar entomological findings cited in the literature support the hypothesis of a specific selectivity on insects' community by underground environments (e.g. graves, crypts). This conclusion can be applied to outline a common pattern in archaeological contexts and in indoor forensic cases.reservedmixedPradelli, J.; Rossetti, C.; Tuccia, F.; Giordani, G.; Licata, M.; Birkhoff, J.M.; Verzeletti, A.; Vanin, S.*Pradelli, J.; Rossetti, C.; Tuccia, F.; Giordani, G.; Licata, M.; Birkhoff, J. M.; Verzeletti, A.; Vanin, S

Environmental necrophagous fauna selection in a funerary hypogeal context: The putridarium of the Franciscan monastery of Azzio (northern Italy)

Insects play a fundamental role in the removal and recycling of the organic matter from human cadavers and animal carcasses. Several factors can affect both the cadaver decomposition and colonisation by insects and other animals. Accessibility to the body is one of these factors. The archaeological, anthropological and entomological investigations conducted inside the Crypt of the Franciscan Monastery in Azzio (Varese, northern Italy) allowed the reconstitution of the funerary practices used by a Franciscan community between the 17th and 18th centuries and provides a good example of necrophagous entomo-fauna selection. Human remains were found in the putridarium chamber, a semicircular room with sixteen narrow and semicircular niches, where bodies were located until the complete decomposition of the soft tissues. Numerous puparia were collected from the bones, the clothes and the niche walls. The majority belonged to Hydrotaea capensis (Diptera: Muscidae) and a few puparia of scuttle flies in the family Phoridae were detected among the studied material. Fragments of beetles in the families Staphylinidae and Cryptophagidae were also sampled. The entomological findings clearly support the hypothesis that the bodies were quickly transferred into the crypt after death and that the specific hypogeal (subterranean) environment selected the entomofauna community composition. The observations here reported with similar entomological findings cited in the literature support the hypothesis of a specific selectivity on insects' community by underground environments (e.g. graves, crypts). This conclusion can be applied to outline a common pattern in archaeological contexts and in indoor forensic cases