Differential effects of photophase on the reproductive behaviour of two species of medico-legal relevance, Peckia (Peckia) chrysostoma (Wiedemann, 1830) and Peckia (Sarcodexia) lambens (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae).

The nocturnal behaviour and reproduction patterns of Sarcophagidae species during the scotophase are largely unexplored for species in the Neotropical region. The aim of this study was to assess the light regimes under which females of Peckia (Peckia) chrysostoma (Wiedemann, 1830) and Peckia (Sarcodexia) lambens (Wiedemann, 1830) would larviposit and understand how these variables influence intrauterine development in these flies. The experiments were conducted in an experimental room (lux = 100) in two independent experiments: I.

Death, flies and environments: Towards a qualitative assessment of insect (Diptera) colonization of human cadavers retrieved from sites of death in Brazil.

Empirical data on decomposition ecology have long established blowflies (Calliphoridae) and flesh flies (Sarcophagidae) (Diptera) as the most frequent colonizers of carrion, especially at early stages of decomposition. However, the scarcity of studies based on human cadavers has hindered inferences about colonization of homicide victims in real case scenarios. We describe here a survey of insects associated with cadavers retrieved from the site of death in Northeastern Brazil, with emphasis on the association between species diversity and the surrounding environment.

Diversity and Flight Patterns of Caddisflies (Trichoptera) in an Atlantic Forest Fragment: Implications for Species Conservation in Threatened Ecosystems.

Anthropogenic activities have decimated the Atlantic Forest domain (AF) and increased the pressure on freshwater biota, such as Trichoptera, which is the most affected order by the current insect decline. Adult mobility is crucial for the colonisation of new environments unconnected by water sources. In this article, we describe the assemblage of caddisflies in a preserved AF fragment related to their functional feeding group and provide empirical data on the patterns of horizontal and vertical flight.

Bionomics, reproductive traits and assessment of forensic relevance of Peckia (Peckia) chrysostoma (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae).

Peckia (Peckia) chrysostoma (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) is a colonizer of cadavers in the Neotropical Region. Nevertheless, data on development for the P. (P.

Forensic entomology in research and practice: an overview of forensic experts' perceptions and scientific output in Brazil.

Given the growing demands for standardization of procedures for collection, preservation, and identification of insect specimens, this study aimed to identify how forensic entomology is used in Brazil and the perceptions of professionals involved in this process. We conducted: (1) bibliometric survey of the scientific production of forensic specialists from 2001 to 2020; (2) questionnaire applied to forensic professionals to verify their perceptions about the use of entomological evidence in practice. An increase in publications on Forensic Entomology was noticed in the last 5 years, mainly in the South and Northeast regions.

Behavioural Aspects of the Prey-Predator Interaction Among Necrophagous Diptera: Implications for Cadaveric Colonization.

Predation is a major process in determining the composition and dynamics of necrophagous dipteran assemblages and has implications for the colonization of cadavers. This work describes behavioural interactions between necrophagous larvae under a predator-prey perspective, using as a model the predatory species Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and three species of prey: Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann) (Calliphoridae), Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp) (Muscidae) and Peckia (Peckia) chrysostoma (Wiedemann) (Sarcophagidae). Using experimental arenas, we observed behavioural acts, such as escape, avoidance and prey discrimination in three experiments, which also incorporated predator density.

Differential Ability of Necrophagous Diptera to Colonize Concealed Resources: Empirical Evidence From a Field Experiment in Brazil.

Field studies in forensic entomology seem to assume that a cadaver is a resource equally accessible to flies, irrespective of the species' size, behavior, and sensorial capacity. We aimed to challenge this assumption by experimentally manipulating baited traps in order to test whether the accessibility to decomposing baits is related to the following: (i) the diversity of necrophagous dipterans; (ii) the body size of adults; and (iii) the female sexual maturity stage. The experiment was performed in a rainforest fragment in Northeastern Brazil, in an area characterized by high levels of homicides.

Development and Field Evaluation of a Novel, Inexpensive Passive Trap for Monitoring Dispersal of Necrophagous Dipteran Larvae.

Techniques for the survey of necrophagous dipterans are frequently designed for adult flies and often neglect forensically important information, such as the postfeeding larval dispersal following carcass colonization. In this study, we propose and test a novel trap design for the collection of dipteran larvae at the postfeeding stage. The Trap for Dispersing Larvae (TDL) consists of two semiindependent parts: 1) a 2-liter PET bottle, containing the attractant (carcass); and 2) a plastic box, which selectively captures postfeeding dispersing larvae.

Diel Activity and Effect of Carcass Decomposition on the Attractiveness to the Forensically Important Species Oxelytrum Discicolle (Coleoptera: Silphidae).

Oxelytrum discicolle is a carrion beetle commonly found in the Neotropical region, mainly associated with cadavers and carcasses. Information on behavior related to the likelihood of cadaver colonization is scarce. We performed two field experiments in peri-urban forest in Brazil in order to strengthen our knowledge on O.

A novel use of infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS and ATR-FTIR) coupled with variable selection algorithms for the identification of insect species (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of medico-legal relevance.

Unequivocal identification of fly specimens is an essential requirement in forensic entomology. Herein, a simple, non-destructive and rapid method based on two vibrational spectroscopy techniques [Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) and attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy] coupled with variable selection techniques such as genetic algorithm-linear discriminant analysis (GA-LDA) and successive projection algorithm-linear discriminant analysis (SPA-LDA) were applied for identifying and discriminating six species of flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) native to Neotropical regions. This novel approach is based on the unique spectral "fingerprints" of their biochemical composition.

Diversity of Sarcosaprophagous Calyptratae (Diptera) on Sandy Beaches Exposed to Increasing Levels of Urbanization in Brazil.

Sandy beaches are among the most impacted ecosystems worldwide, and the effects of urbanization on the biodiversity of these habitats are largely unknown, particularly in Brazil. We investigated the composition and structure of assemblages of sarcosaprophagous insects (Diptera: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, and Muscidae) on six sandy beaches exposed to differential levels of human impact in Pernambuco State, Brazil. In total, 20,672 adults of 40 species were collected, of which 70% were Calliphoridae.

Diurnal and Nocturnal Flight Activity of Blow Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in a Rainforest Fragment in Brazil: Implications for the Colonization of Homicide Victims.

Nocturnal flight of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is a controversial issue in forensic entomology. We performed two field experiments to investigate the diurnal and nocturnal activity of six blow fly species in a rainforest fragment in Brazil. Initially, nocturnal (17:30-05:30) versus diurnal (05:30-17:30) flight activity was investigated.

Effect of bait decomposition on the attractiveness to species of Diptera of veterinary and forensic importance in a rainforest fragment in Brazil.

Insects associated with carrion can have parasitological importance as vectors of several pathogens and causal agents of myiasis to men and to domestic and wild animals. We tested the attractiveness of animal baits (chicken liver) at different stages of decomposition to necrophagous species of Diptera (Calliphoridae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, Phoridae and Sarcophagidae) in a rainforest fragment in Brazil. Five types of bait were used: fresh and decomposed at room temperature (26 °C) for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h.

Dipterans associated with a decomposing animal carcass in a rainforest fragment in Brazil: notes on the early arrival and colonization by necrophagous species.

This study aimed to provide the first checklist of forensically-important dipteran species in a rainforest environment in Northeastern Brazil, a region exposed to high rates of homicides. Using a decomposing pig, Sus scrofa L. (Artiodactyla: Suidae), carcass as a model, adult flies were collected immediately after death and in the early stages of carcass decomposition.

Multiple colonization of a cadaver by insects in an indoor environment: first record of Fannia trimaculata (Diptera: Fanniidae) and Peckia (Peckia) chrysostoma (Sarcophagidae) as colonizers of a human corpse.

We describe here a case of multiple colonization of a male cadaver found indoors in the municipality of Jaboatao dos Guararapes, Brazil. The body was colonized by six species of Diptera: Chrysomya albiceps, Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya putoria (Calliphoridae), Megaselia scalaris (Phoridae), Fannia trimaculata (Fanniidae), and Peckia (Peckia) chrysostoma (Sarcophagidae). The most abundant species were C.

Necrophagous beetles associated with carcasses in a semi-arid environment in northeastern Brazil: implications for forensic entomology.

Data on the ecology and bionomics of necrophagous beetles are scarce in tropical countries despite their relevance in forensic investigations. We performed a survey on the diversity and temporal pattern of colonization of beetles on pig carcasses in a fragment of dry forest in northeastern Brazil. We collected 1550 adults of diverse feeding habits from 12 families, of which 96% had necrophagous and/or copro-necrophagous habits and belonged to four families: Dermestidae, Scarabaeidae, Cleridae and Trogidae.

Bionomics of two forensically important blowfly species Chrysomya megacephala and Chrysomya putoria (Diptera: Calliphoridae) reared on four types of diet.

The use of heterogeneous animal tissues for the rearing of necrophagous insect species can produce uneven biological data, which can compromise the determination of larval age and, consequently, estimates for post-mortem intervals. We investigated the development of two species, Chrysomya megacephala and Chrysomya putoria (Diptera: Calliphoridae), reared on four substrates: minced beef (control) and semi-synthetic diets with the addition of sardine, rumen or chicken eggs. No differences in total developmental times were detected among larvae reared on different diets.

Insects (Diptera) associated with cadavers at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Pernambuco, Brazil: implications for forensic entomology.

Increasing rates of unsolved homicides in Brazil prompt the need for applied entomological data to be used as a complementary tool by criminal investigators. In that context, we analyzed the occurrence of forensically important insect species (Order Diptera) on 14 cadavers taken into the Institute of Legal Medicine (ILM), in Pernambuco, Brazil, according to the conditions of the body and the pattern of colonisation by insects. Simultaneously, we surveyed the diversity of insects in the surrounding environment using bait traps.

Distribution summaries of malaria vectors in the northern Brazilian Amazon.

Knowledge of vector distribution is important for the design of effective local malaria control programs. Here we apply ecological niche modeling to analyze and predict the distributions of malaria vectors based on entomological collection points in the State of Roraima in the northern Brazilian Amazon Basin. Anopheline collections were conducted from 1999 to 2003 at 76 localities, all with active malaria transmission.

Parity and age composition for Anopheles darlingi root (Diptera: Culicidae) and Anopheles albitarsis Lynch-Arribálzaga (Diptera: Culicidae) of the northern Amazon Basin, Brazil.

Parity and age composition for Anopheles darlingi and Anopheles albitarsis in the northern Amazon Basin, Brazil, were investigated. Anopheline ovaries and ovarioles were examined in order to determine whether hourly and seasonal parity status for the vectors An. albitarsis and An.

An ecoregional classification for the state of Roraima, Brazil: the importance of landscape in malaria biology.

Understanding the different background landscapes in which malaria transmission occurs is fundamental to understanding malaria epidemiology and to designing effective local malaria control programs. Geology, geomorphology, vegetation, climate, land use, and anopheline distribution were used as a basis for an ecological classification of the state of Roraima, Brazil, in the northern Amazon Basin, focused on the natural history of malaria and transmission. We used unsupervised maximum likelihood classification, principal components analysis, and weighted overlay with equal contribution analyses to fine-scale thematic maps that resulted in clustered regions.

Tetrahymenidae infection in mosquito populations in a malaria-endemic region of the Amazon.

In a field survey performed in a malaria-endemic region of Northern Amazon, Brazil, we encountered ciliate protozoa of the family Tetrahymenidae infecting adults and larvae of the following mosquito species: Culex sp., Anopheles albitarsis l.s.

[Phlebotomine sandflies in fragments of rain forest in Recife, Pernambuco State].

An investigation was conducted into the distribution of sandfly fauna in 4 fragments of Atlantic forest in the Metropolitan Area of Recife. It consisted of the capture adult insects using CDC light traps. A total of 1,173 specimens were distributed in 11 species of Lutzomyia: Lutzomyia evandroi, Lutzomyia choti, Lutzomyia walkeri, Lutzomyia umbratilis, Lutzomyia brasiliensis, Lutzomyia sordellii, Lutzomyia claustrei, Lutzomyia wellcomei, Lutzomyia fluviatilis, Lutzomyia furcata e Lutzomyia aragaoi.