Studies on incidence and succession of forensically important insects associated with decomposition of goat flesh

Abstract

Studies on the incidence and succession pattern of forensically important insects associated with the decomposition of goat flesh was carried out in Bala village of Banjar, Distt. Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. In total, twelve insect species belonging to ten families under three orders were recorded, namely Diptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. Order Diptera included families Calliphoridae, Muscidae, Sarcophagidae, Sepsidae and Piophilidae; order Coleoptera included families Silphidae, Histeridae, Staphylinidae and Dermestidae and order Hymenoptera represented by single family Formicidae. Flies were abundant in the early stages of decomposition while beetles attacked the flesh at later stages. Ants were recorded to be present in all the stages. Total decomposition of flesh took twenty-two days. This study on mammalian flesh provides a baseline data of forensically important insects of Banjar and also the succession pattern followed by them on goat flesh.