Efecto de la sumersión en agua sobre la supervivencia de huevos de Calliphoridae (Insecta: Díptera) en la provincia de Río Negro

Abstract

Forensic entomology studies the insects found on corpses, providing useful information in medical-legal cases. It is a science through which the post-mortem interval (time elapsed since death) can be estimated, determine the time of year in which the death occurred, know if the body was transferred, and if it has any toxin. All this is based on the study of insect species of forensic interest and, also, on the influence of environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, which influence, among others, the growth rate and decomposition processes. cadaverous Insects, especially flies, belonging to the Diptera order, are capable of detecting the presence of cadaveric remains located kilometers away and are normally the first to arrive and colonize a corpse, since they are capable of detecting the presence of cadaveric remains located kilometers away. Within the framework of Criminalistics, there are different variables that can affect the entomological signs. For example, the presence of water on the corpse could decrease the survival of the fauna and alter the integrity of evidence. However, until now, the effect that water can have on insect eggs and larvae, in cases with submerged or partly-submerged bodies, is unknown. Therefore, the objective of this work is to provide information on the survival of fly, eggs found on submerged bodies in the province of Rio Negro. For this, traps designed to capture adults flies were used, using steak as bait. Eggs were then obtained from the females and reared at constant temperatura (20°C) under 2 submersion conditions, taking into account time (30 minutes, 6h, 12h, 18h, 24h, 30h) and Depth (5 cm and 15 cm). Regarding the results, the eggs survived at 6 times and at both depths. However, the hatching percentage was affected as the time increased. In America, few studies have addressed the subject and, in Argentina, it is the first work that proposes to know the influence of water on Calliphoridae eggs. Through it, it was shown that water affects the hatching of eggs, decreasing survival at longer times of immersion. The findings presented provide pioneering and necessary data for the study of cases where entomological evidence is collected on bodies found in situations of submersion or partly- submersion.