Lecture 4

Question 1

What is the order and family of a carpet beetle?

Answer 1

order: colleoptera
family: dermestidae

Question 2

Where are spiders found on corpses?

Answer 2

on clothing

Question 3

T/F: spiders are accidental and are not carrion specialists.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

what class are spiders?

Answer 4

arachnida

Question 5

what is the species, genus, family, and order of a black blow fly?

Answer 5

Phormia regina, phormia, calliphoridae, and diptera

Question 6

What are bed bugs evidence of?

Answer 6

body was indoors

Question 7

what chemical is useful as bait for trapping flies and beetles?

Answer 7

hydrogen sulphide

Question 8

traps supplimented with ___ and ___ attract greater number of beetles.

Answer 8

methyl thiolacetate and dimethyl trisulfide

Question 9

T/F: Colonizing a carcass is distinct.

Answer 9

False
- waves of colonization overlap
- geographic and seasonal differences exist

Question 10

What did Megnin identify in 1894?

Answer 10

8 invasion waves on human corpses
although this has been grouped together into as few as 2 stages by ecologists

Question 11

What did Payne discover in 1965?

Answer 11

used pig carcasses and discovered 6 stages:
1. fresh
2. bloated
3. active decay
4. advanced decay
5. remains
6. dry

Question 12

what did Bornmissza discover in 1957?

Answer 12

5 stages of decay:
1. initial decay (0-2 days)
2. putrefaction stage (2-12 days)
3. black putrefaction (12-20 days)
4. butyric fermentation (20-40 days)
5. dry decay (40-50 days)

Question 13

what do adult silphidae feed on?

Answer 13

decaying material, carrion, fly larvae, snails

Question 14

How do silphidae find carcasses?

Answer 14

via odor cues olfaction) through sensilla on terminal anntennal segments

Question 15

what do silphidae sensilla detect?

Answer 15

hydrogen sulfide and cyclic carbon compounds

Question 16

what do some adult silphidae carry?

Answer 16

nematodes and cestodes

Question 17

What was the importance of rabies and anthrax studies?

Answer 17

rabies was deactivated in the gut of nicrophorus, but anthrax bacilli may be spread

Question 18

What are the 4 mite families?

Answer 18

parasitidae (most common)
anoetidae
uropodidae
macrochelidae

Question 19

What is the timeline of silphinae on carcass?

Answer 19

1. female oviposit on soil around the carcass
2. 2-7 days larvae hatch and move to carcass to feed
3. 3 larval instars 1st 3-7 days, 2nd and 3rd 3-10 days
4. pupate in soil, 14-21 days
5. avoid competition with flies by waiting until fly maggots finish feeding
6. beetle eggs hatch when 1st generation of flies are leaving carcass to pupate, about 5 days after oviposition by flies and beetles
7. little to no parental care

Question 20

What is the process of nicrophorinae on carcass?

Answer 20

1. both parents bury into an underground crypt to rear offspring
2. has biparental care
3. breed in communities with large carcasses
4. adults find small dead mouse then burrow into soil under carcass
5. soil is pushed out and body sinks into the ground
6. 1 beetle pair per carcass
7. female digs tunnel and lays eggs within 48 hours
8. males leave the chamber

Question 21

Describe necrodes surinamensis

Answer 21

likes large carcasses and attracted to light

Question 22

describe necrophila americana

Answer 22

late spring early summer, diurnal

Question 23

describe oiceoptoma inaequale

Answer 23

early spring,
one generation per year,
diurnal
fringes of hair at eyes

Question 24

describe oiceoptoma novaboracense

Answer 24

early spring
one generation
forested habitats

Question 25

describe thanatophilus lapponicus

Answer 25

early spring
dominant species
often only one collected
a northern species
found in garbage or burning barrels

Question 26

describe nicrophorinae physical attributes.

Answer 26

• elytra shorter than abdomen usually exposing 3-4 abdomenal tergites
• elytra usually with red/orange markings
• second antenal segment small hidden tip of 1st segment

Question 27

describe silphinae physical attributes.

Answer 27

• elytra covers abdomen, or exposes 1-2 tergites
• second antennal segment not hidden, large