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A PRELIMINARY LARVAL IDENTIFICATION KEY TO EUROPEAN COLEOPTERA
OF FORENSIC IMPORTANCE
Poster · April 2013
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Luisa M Díaz-Aranda
University of Alcalá
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Daniel Martín-Vega
University of Alcalá
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Blanca Cifrián
University of Alcalá
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Arturo Baz
University of Alcalá
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iuicp
Instituto Universitario de Investigación
en Ciencias Policiales
Introduction
In spite of the recognized utility of beetles in forensic investigations (Midgley et al. 2010), the order Coleoptera has been typically
neglected in forensic entomology research. Both Coleoptera adults and larvae are associated with carcasses, but regrettably the
lack of specific larval identification keys to those species which are more frequently found on carrion may impede a complete
analysis of the entomological evidence in many studies and investigations.
The current poster presents a preliminary larval identification key to the necrophagous species of Coleoptera which are
potentially useful as forensic indicators. The selection of species included in the key is based on the inventories from published
carrion succession experiments carried out in Europe.
Material and Methods
Diagnostic characters allowing for the identification of L-3 species are based on both laboratory-reared specimen descriptions and revision
of published. Reared specimens were obtained from laboratory colonies founded with adults captured in several geographic areas, using
carrion-baited traps or on carcasses in vulture-restaurants. The current key only shows preliminary work and must be used with caution.
A PRELIMINARY LARVAL IDENTIFICATION KEY TO
EUROPEAN COLEOPTERA OF FORENSIC IMPORTANCE
Luisa M. Díaz-Aranda, Daniel Martín-Vega, Blanca Cifrián & Arturo Baz
Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida e Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain
[email protected], daniel.martinv[email protected], blanc[email protected], artur[email protected]
Larva hardly sclerotized
Larva lightly sclerotized.
Larva scarabaeiform (C- or J-shaped)
Abdominal terguites with transverse folds
Larva not scarabaeiform
Body creamy-white coloured
TROGIDAE
Abdominal segments VIII or IX without paired
processes or reduced to tubercles.
Tergites small in each abdominal segments. Head
with I ocellus on each side
Trox (Trox) perlatus
Martín Piera & López Colón (2000)
body creamy with mottled violet-grey markings. Abdominal
tergite IX hardly sclerotised with hook-like urogomphi
CLERIDAE (Necrobia sp)
Necrobia rufipes Necrobia violacea
a ~ b a < b
2 Urogomphi bi-segmented
and articulated. Legs extremely
short, shorter than mouthparts
2 or 4 Urogomphi,
fused to 9th abdominal terguite.
HISTERIDAE
NITIDULIDAE
IX
IX
IX
X
IX
Urogomphi and pregomphi
virtually absent, reduced to
paired tubercles
Sharp-pointed urogomphi
present, pregomphi usually
present
Anal hooks present in segment X Anal hooks absent
Urogomphi with a distinct setose tubercle at the base of
their outer side. Ninth abdominal segment covered with a
dorsal sclerite.
Soronia sp
Urogomphi simple, without a tubercle at the base of their
outer side. Ninth abdominal sclerite usually without a
dorsal sclerite.
Abdominal terga each with tubercles Abdominal terga, except the 9th, without tubercles
Mesothoracic to 8th
abdominal terga with
sclerites.
Mesothoracic to 8th
abdominal terga without
sclerites
Pocadius sp
Meligethes sp.
Epuraea sp.
Carpophilus sp.
Urogomphi about half as long as ninth
abdominal segment and strongly
curved upwards only in apical half.
Omosita sp
Urogomphi shorter
Nitidula sp.
Nitidula carnaria (Schaller, 1783)Nitidula flavomaculata Rossi, 1790
Pregomphi clearly
smaller than Urogomphi
Pregomphi and
Urogomphi similar
SILPHIDAE (Nicrophorus sp)
Body with short setae, scarce setae or without setae.
Urogomphi articulated, frequently long
Body flattened, terguites with
lateral extension (larva onisciform)
Body subcilindrical, terguites without lateral extension
STAPHILINIDAE
Urogomphi longer than 10th abdominal segment by at
least one-half their length. Abdominal sternite II
divided into 3 large sclerites
Urogomphi equal to or only slightly longer than
abdominal segment X. Abdominal sternite II
with 1 large sclerite
Basal segment of urogomphus approximately 2-2,5
times longer than the distal segment. Dorsal color
entirely black or dark brown
Necrodes littoralis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Thanatophilus sp
Th. sinuatus (Fabricius, 1775)
Thanatophilus rugosus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Pronotum margin protruding anterolaterally
Oiceoptoma thoracicum
(Linnaeus, 1758)
SILPHIDAE (Silphinae)
DERMESTIDAE
Basal segment of urogomphus approximately 4
times longer than the distal segment. Dorsal color
brown with a light mediodorsal longitudinal line
Silpha tristis
Illiger, 1798
Silpha obscura
Linnaeus, 1758
Head without frontal tubercles Head with frontal tubercles
D. lardarius Linnaeus, 1758
Urogomphi with apices curved
caudally and downwards
Urogomphi nearly straight
Abdominal tergites IV-IX with a
transverse row of tubercles behind
anterocostal suture. Light brown head
Abdominal tergites IV-IX without a transverse row of
tubercles behind anterocostal suture. Dorsal surface
with light beaded longitudinal band. Dark brown head.
D. mustelinus Erichson, 1846 D. ater (DeGeer, 1774)
Dorsal surface with broad, longitudinal light
band extending from anterior margin of
prothorax to abdominal tergites IX-X.
Dorsal surface with longitudinal light band or row
of light spots, but not extending from anterior
margin of prothorax to abdominal tergites IX-X.
D. maculatus De Geer, 1774D. frischii Kugelann, 1792
Nº and shape of retrorse
tubercles in terguites IV-
IX
Urogomphi with apices
distinctly curved
Urogomphi nearly straight,
with apices slightly curved
D. undulatus Brahm, 1790
Dorsal surface without
longitudinal band, only with
light spots on intersegmental
membranes of thoracic and
abdominal segments V-VII.
Thorax
D. murinus Linnaeus, 1758
< 6 > 6
Dermestes sp
Mediodorsal stripe in thorax
Head sclerotization
Thanatophilus
dispar ?
Dermestes
sardous ?
any larvae will be welcome to improve this key
We need more N. violacea
larvae to confirm this character
Necrobia ruficollis ?
see European larval key in:
Scholtz & Lumaret (1991) See European larval key in:
Ruzicka, J. (1992)
Acknowledgments
We wish to thank Szymon Matuszewski for contributing Thanatophilus rugosus larvae.
References
Böving AG, Rozen Jr JG. (1962). Anatomical and systematic study of the mature larvae of the Nitidulidae (Coleoptera). Entomologiske Meddelelser 31:265-299.
Hayashi N. (1978). A contribution to the knowledge of the larvae of the Nitidulidae occurring in Japan (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea). Insecta Matsumurana, Series Entomology, New Series 14:1-97.
Klausnitzer, B. (1997). Die Larven der Käfer Mitteleuopas. Band L 4. Polyphaga. Teil 3. Krefeld, Goecke & Evers eds.: 39-68
Midgley JM, Richards CS, Villet MH. (2010). The utility of Coleoptera in forensic investigations. In Amendt J et al. (eds) Current concepts in forensic entomology. Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 57-68.
Ruzicka, J. (1992). The inmature stages of central European species of Nicrophorus (Cileoptera, Silphifae). Acta Entomol. Bpohemoslov., 89:113-135
Scholtz,C.H. & Lumaret, J.P.(1991) Descriptions of European Trox F. larvae (Coleoptera: Trogidae). The Coleopterists Bulletin, 45 (4): 317-322
Zhantiev RD, Volkova TG. (1998). Larvae of dermestid beetles of the genus Dermestes (Coleoptera, Dermestidae) of Russia and adjacent countries: 1. Subgenus Dermestes. Entomological
Review 78:962-968.
Zhantiev RD, Volkova TG. (1999). Larvae of dermestid beetles of the genus Dermestes (Coleoptera, Dermestidae) of Russia and adjacent countries: 2. Subgenus Dermestinus. Entomological
Review 79:107-117.
.
Thanatophilus ruficornis
(Küster, 1851)
Omosita colon?
Omosita discoidea ?
Omosita depresa ?
Nitidula rufipes ?
Nitidula bipunctata ?
Abdominal segments VIII or IX with
urogomphi (paired process articulated,
unarticulated or hook-like). Usually with
tergites only in thorax and IX or X
abdominal segments
Body with long dense setae. Urogomphi fused to
9th abdominal terguite, frequently hook-like
Pronotum margin not
protruding anterolaterally
Creophillus maxilosus (Linnaeus, 1758
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