Benefits of beetles eating corpses

Danh Phuong

Scientists in Spain are studying the life cycles of specific beetles to know how they can help determine a person's death time.

In a school-published newsletter - Department of Forensic Investigation of the Department of Zoology and Animal Biology at the Basque Country University is listing a list of beetles living on dead tissue. Researchers hope to increase what is known about the insects that feed on the native cadavers of the three Basque provinces, their development cycle, distribution patterns and how this information is available. Can be used when a corpse is found.

Researchers from UPV-EHU University (Universidad Del Pais Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea) have set up traps with bait to lure ancient insects into a decaying animal meat meal. Once, the researchers reconstructed the living conditions of the beetles in order to chart their life cycles - from the eggs that were born until they grew.

To this day, researchers have obtained specimens on the campus of the University of Leioa and in Bilbao and discovered many differences between different types of insects living in urban areas, and These species are found in more rural environments. They said that such a discovery is significant for verifying whether a crime is committed in one place and the body is transferred to another.

(Photo: Stjohntour)