Trabalho vencedor do 1º Concurso de Trabalhos Originais GICFinho 2017
por: Karen Mira (Estudante Pós-Graduada, Instituto Superior de Ciências da Saúde Egas Moniz, Monte de Caparica)
por: Karen Mira (Estudante Pós-Graduada, Instituto Superior de Ciências da Saúde Egas Moniz, Monte de Caparica)
Abstract:
For many years insects were ignored in the field of forensic investigation but, with the development of the study of ecology and entomology, this group has become important for the estimation of postmortem interval (PMI). The science of studying arthropods and insects in criminal investigations is called Forensic Entomology. Insects are usually associated with the body after death because it is their natural tendency to colonize it, whether the corpse is inside a dwelling or in an open space. They play a very important role in the decomposition of organic matter, which makes them a potential source of evidence in cases of homicide or suspicious death. From soon after death, insects are attracted by a decaying body due to gases released by bacterial activity. Necrophagous flies, particularly blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are the first arrivals. As primary colonizers, they are the most relevant group with which to estimate the post mortem interval. However, the insects’ behaviour can be affected by ingested drugs or toxins present in the body. Entomotoxicology is a relatively new area of Forensic Entomology, which covers the analysis and identification of xenobiotics, especially in necrophagous diptera larvae. This science observes the effects of these toxic substances on the development of insects, which can lead to a discrepancy in the calculation of the PMI. This study aimed to observe the changes that caffeine causes in blowflies, particularly in oviposition and survival, and the results obtained showed that this toxin has effects on the larval stages, accelerating the development of the animals. Once the flies emerged, this toxin also has an effect on the flies, decreasing their longevity.
Keywords: Forensic entomology, Decomposition process, Calliphoridae, Blowfly life-cycle, Oviposition, Caffeine
