Carrion Beetles (Coleoptera, Silphidae) of Potential Forensic Importance and Their Pictorial Identification Key by User-Friendly Characters in Korea / 대한법의학회지

ABSTRACT

To date, 26 species of silphid beetles in nine genera within two subfamilies have been recorded in Korea, among which, we examined necrophilous and necrobiont silphids with the aim of identifying candidate species that could be used as forensic indicators. We compiled a list of 15 species in seven genera and two subfamilies based on specimens obtained from 36 repeated experiments using pig cadavers and a search of previous literature: seven species in the subfamily Nicrophorinae (Nicrophorus concolor Kraatz, Nicrophorus maculifrons Kraatz, Nicrophorus quadraticollis Portevin, Nicrophorus quadripunctatus Kraatz, Nicrophorus tenuipes Lewis, Nicrophorus vespilloides Herbst, and Ptomascopus morio Kraatz), and eight species in the subfamily Silphinae (Necrodes littoralis (Linnaeus), Necrodes nigricornis Harold, Necrophila brunneicollis brunneicollis (Kraatz), Necrophila (Eusilpha) jakowlewi jakowlewi (Semenov), Oiceoptoma thoracicum (Linnaeus), Silpha (Phosphuga) atrata atrata Linnaeus, Thanatophilus rugosus (Linnaeus), and Thanatophilus sinuatus (Fabricius)). The association of these beetles with carcasses is supported by previous reports of their attraction to baited pitfall traps. The asymptote of species accumulation was determined according to the number of samplings. On the basis of the findings of this study, we believe that the 15 identified silphid species are obligate cadaver feeders and could serve as a definitive range of silphids essential for forensic investigation. However, given that criminal investigators without sufficient entomological knowledge may be unable to identify the silphid beetles obtained from corpses, we have also produced a user-friendly pictorial key that should facilitate identification of the silphids of forensic importance in Korea.