New record of sap beetle, Nitidula flavomaculata Rossi (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) on an outdoor mummified human corpse, South of Iran

Abstract

Beetles (Coleoptera) are recognized as important entomological clues in the forensic entomology field for the determination of post-mortem interval (PMI). The necrobiont nitidulid species of beetles are colonizers of human corpses in the advanced stages of decomposition which provide essential complementary data to estimate the PMI in forensic cases. We report the new finding of Palearctic sap beetle, Nitidula flavomaculata Rossi 1790, adults from a mummified human body located outdoor in a xeric mountain setting, north of Shiraz, the capital city of Fars province, Iran. This human corpse was a male discovered in December 2014. Adult beetles of N. flavomaculata were allowed to nourish, copulate and lay eggs in a rearing container at 23±1 °C. The time period from oviposition to the next F1 generation of egg-laying adults lasted 61 days. The species of beetle found in this case could be used in forensic investigations particularly during the cold season in future.