Developmental Models of the Forensically Important Carrion Beetle,<i>Thanatophilus sinuatus</i>(Coleoptera: Silphidae)
Santiago Montoya-Molina, Pavel Jakubec, Jarin Qubaiová, Martin Novák, Hana Šuláková, Jan Růžička
Abstract
Carrion beetles of genus Thanatophilus (Leach, 1815) are an important group of necrophagous insects, with great potential for forensic entomology in temperate zones of Africa, America, Asia, and Europe. Developmental models for majority of Thanatophilus species remain unknown. In this study, we will provide new thermal summation models for all the developmental stages of Thanatophilus sinuatus (Fabricius, 1775), one of the most abundant and widespread species of the genus. The beetles were bred at seven different constant temperatures, and developmental time was measured for each developmental stage (egg, three larval instars, postfeeding stage, and pupa). Temperature-sex influence was tested, and thermal summation constants were calculated to be used for postmortem interval estimation during criminal investigations.