Taxonomic Revision of Lipoptilocnema (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), With Notes on Natural History and Forensic Importance of Its Species.

Lipoptilocnema Townsend is a small genus of Neotropical Sarcophaginae with a distinctive genitalic morphology. This genus is revised based on the examination of the type series and large numbers of specimens of the seven previously known species, plus three new ones herein described, one from Argentina (L. delfinado Mulieri and Mello-Patiu, sp. nov.), and two from Brazil (L. savana Mulieri and Mello-Patiu, sp. nov. and L. tibanae Mulieri and Mello-Patiu, sp. nov.). All species are described or redescribed and illustrated. Distribution maps and a key for male identification are provided. The taxonomic position of this genus is reviewed and the interpretation of phallic structures is discussed. Notes on the natural history of Lipoptilocnema species are provided, and their potential importance as PMI indicators is highlighted, including the first record of Lipoptilocnema reared from a dead human body.

A key and checklist to the Neotropical forensically important "Little House Flies" (Diptera: Fanniidae)

Fanniidae (Insecta: Diptera) is a relatively small family (ca. 350 spp.) with five genera, of which Fannia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 and Euryomma Stein, 1899 have Neotropical distributions. Some of these species are almost always found in forensic studies. Forensically relevant species have been neglected, despite recent forensic studies that suggest their importance for estimating post-mortem interval (PMI). Thus, current and updated keys to identify adults or larvae on carcasses are unavailable for the most important species. While immature stages are important in estimating PMI, evidence suggests that adults (Fanniidae as well as other families) may also be useful for this purpose. Here we provide a key to males of the species of Fanniidae (found on corpses and other decomposing organic matter) with a checklist of species that have been used in forensics in the Neotropical region. The key comprises all 38 species of Fannia and Euryomma that have already been successfully used in forensics, and species that are potentially useful for estimating PMI. These records were found after reviews of the literature and data from entomological collections. Photographs and illustrations of the main characters in the key are provided.

A key and checklist to the Neotropical forensically important "Little House Flies" (Diptera: Fanniidae)

Fanniidae (Insecta: Diptera) is a relatively small family (ca. 350 spp.) with five genera, of which Fannia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 and Euryomma Stein, 1899 have Neotropical distributions. Some of these species are almost always found in forensic studies. Forensically relevant species have been neglected, despite recent forensic studies that suggest their importance for estimating post-mortem interval (PMI). Thus, current and updated keys to identify adults or larvae on carcasses are unavailable for the most important species. While immature stages are important in estimating PMI, evidence suggests that adults (Fanniidae as well as other families) may also be useful for this purpose. Here we provide a key to males of the species of Fanniidae (found on corpses and other decomposing organic matter) with a checklist of species that have been used in forensics in the Neotropical region. The key comprises all 38 species of Fannia and Euryomma that have already been successfully used in forensics, and species that are potentially useful for estimating PMI. These records were found after reviews of the literature and data from entomological collections. Photographs and illustrations of the main characters in the key are provided.(AU)

An illustrated key to and diagnoses of the species of Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) associated with decaying carcasses in Argentina.

A key to 24 Staphylinidae species associated with decaying carcasses in Argentina is presented, including diagnoses, illustrations, distributional and bionomical data for these species. This article provides a table of all species associated with carcasses, detailing the substrate from which they were collected and geographical distribution by province. All 24 Staphylinidae species recorded are grouped into three subfamilies: Aleocharinae (three species of Aleochara Gravenhorst and one species of Atheta Thomson), Oxytelinae (one species of Anotylus Thomson) and Staphylininae (18 species, two belonging to the tribe Xantholinini and 16 species belonging to the tribe Staphylinini). A discussion is presented on the potential forensic importance of some species collected on human and pig carcasses.

An updated key to the species of Fannia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Fanniidae) of southern South America, and the description of a new species from Mendoza, Argentina.

The aim of this study is to describe Fannia puxcu sp. n., a new species of the genus Fannia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Fanniidae) that was collected in the Villavicencio Provincial Reserve in Mendoza, Argentina, and to present an updated key to the 27 species of Fannia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Fanniidae) of Southern South America. The male of F. puxcu sp. n. is described, and illustrations provided as well as distributional records and a discussion of its possible phylogenetic affinities.

An illustrated key to and diagnoses of the species of Histeridae (Coleoptera) associated with decaying carcasses in Argentina.

A key to 16 histerid species associated with decaying carcasses in Argentina is presented, including diagnoses and habitus photographs for these species. This article provides a table of all species associated with carcasses, detailing the substrate from which they were collected and geographical distribution by province. All 16 Histeridae species registered are grouped into three subfamilies: Saprininae (twelve species of Euspilotus Lewis and one species of Xerosaprinus Wenzel), Histerinae (one species of Hololepta Paykull and one species of Phelister Marseul) and Dendrophilinae (one species of Carcinops Marseul). Two species are new records for Argentina: Phelister rufinotus Marseuland Carcinops troglodytes (Paykull). A discussion is presented on the potential forensic importance of some species collected on human and pig carcasses.

Adult Fanniidae associated to pig carcasses during the winter season in a semiarid environment: initial examination of their potential as complementary PMI indicators.

Besides the dominant necrophagous dipteran of the families Sarcophagidae and Calliphoridae usually used for post mortem interval (PMI) estimations, species of other families such as Fanniidae have frequently been reported in forensic studies. Though less abundant, these species are prevalent in decomposing carcasses with most reports being anecdotal. In this study we identified adults of the fly family Fanniidae associated to pig carcasses located under different local environmental conditions (sun and shade) in a semiarid area at Mendoza, Argentina during the winter season. We examined the potential of species of this family as indicators of PMI by measuring abundance, time of occurrence and residency time at the carcasses. We identified six species of Fanniidae: Euryomma peregrinum Meigen, Fannia albitarsis Stein, Fannia femoralis Stein, Fannia fusconotata Rondani, Fannia heydenii Wiedemann and Fannia sanihue Domínguez and Aballay. Overall, fly abundance was higher at the sunlit than at the shaded carcass. The most abundant species at the sun was F. fusconotata while at the shaded carcass F. femoralis was the most abundant species. Based on their residency time, however, species with higher potential as PMI indicators seem to be F. heydenii and F. sanihue as their residency time at the carcass was restricted to a short period of the decomposition process. Other species were present throughout most of the decomposition process or in such a low abundance (E. peregrinum) that they were not useful as indicators. These preliminary results indicate that adults of some species of Fanniidae could act as a good complementary indicator species during the winter season. In particular, F. heydenii and F. sanihue should be the focus of further studies which should also expand to other seasons.