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The humans lie but the spiders do not lie: An overview on forensic acarology
Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences (2011) 1, 109–110
Forensic Medicine Authority
Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences www.ees.elsevier.com/ejfs www.sciencedirect.com
REVIEW ARTICLE
The humans lie but the spiders do not lie: An overview on forensic acarology Aly H. Rasmy National Research Centre, Entomology & Acarology, El Tahreer Street, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt Available online 16 September 2011
KEYWORDS Forensic acarology; Post mortem interval; Tyrophagous longior; Drug trafficking
Abstract An overview on forensic acarology and its application in forensic science has been discussed. Mites can provide forensically important information to estimate the post mortem interval, post burial interval, cause of death and relocation of a dead body. ª 2011 Forensic Medicine Authority. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Forensic acarology is the area of forensic science in which information provided by the acari is used in the investigations of crime scene usually concerned violent crimes or suspicious death.1 The application of mites in forensic investigation has received much attention in the recent years to provide forensically important information since mites have reported to be associated with dead bodies. The phoretic mites attached to flesh flies and blowflies arrive to a dead body within a few hours of death. Also, they can reach corpse by walking or carried by air to start succession and then enlarging mite populations.2 Therefore, spiders and fungivorous mites arrive lastly to feed on dry tissues, hairs and other decomposing remains of carrion.3 E-mail address: [email protected] 2090-536X ª 2011 Forensic Medicine Authority. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Peer review under responsibility of Forensic Medicine Authority. doi:10.1016/j.ejfs.2011.07.001
Production and hosting by Elsevier
However, Megnin4,5 was the first to use mites to estimate time of death in forensic investigations. He estimated the postmortem interval (PMI) of a newborn baby, in France, based on the biology of the associated stored product mite, Tyrophagous longior (Gerg). The assemblage of mites associated with the corpse revealed that the state of decay dated back about 2 years. Therefore, the question of guilt was thrown upon the earlier occupants of the house instead of the current ones. In addition to telling the truth, spiders can provide valuable information regarding drug trafficking to find out where the drugs were produced. Starkeby6 reported that a brick of marijuana being shipped from Columbia to USA; while entering, the drugs were seized. Analysis revealed that a unique spider species recorded only in Columbian mountains was noted associated with the drug. Recently, the scope of forensic acarology goes further than the application of mites to estimate time of death, circumstances of death or relocation of dead bodies, particularly in habitat where insects are rare or absent. Interestingly, in an article by the author7 it was reported that mites can be used as forensic indicators in case of neglect or physical abuse. For example, the scale mite, Sarcoptes scabiei L. tends to colonize the vagrant people as a result of their poor hygienic conditions, and also people of advanced age who have not been able to maintain their bodily hygiene.8 In this issue, demodcid
110 mites inhabit also face eyelashes, hair follicles, sebaceous glands, earwax, scalp, nipples, penis and buttocks.9,10 As a side note, no evidence on bloodstain artifact resulted from mite activity in the scene of a crime has been reported yet. This could be due to their tiny size and thus, it is believed that the mechanical transmission of blood from a pooled surface to a blood free surface by mites is undetected by the public or the naked eye.11 After all, it is clear that the analysis of acarological evidences seems to be important factor in the determination of guilt or innocence. Unfortunately, the lack of official support keeps compromising any attempts of applying forensic entomology in medico-legal investigations in many countries. References 1. Rasmy AH. Forensic acarololgy: a new area for forensic investigation. Acarines 2007;1:4–5. 2. Perotti MA, Braig HR. Forensic acarologyProc. 6th meeting of the European assoc. for forensic entomology. Crete; 2008. p. 12. 3. Goof ML. Use of acari in establishing a postmortem interval in homicide case in island of Oahu, Hawaii. In: Dusbabek F, Bukva
A.H. Rasmy
4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
9. 10.
11.
V, editors. Modern acarology, vol. 1. The Hague, Netherlands: Academia; 1991. p. 439–42. Me´gnin JP. La fauna de cadavres: application de l’entomologie a la me´decine le´gale: Encyclope´die Scientifique des AidesMe´moire. Paris: Masson et Gauthiers-Villars et Fils; 1894. Me´gnin JP. La fauna de cadavres (the fauna of carcasses). Ann Hyg Publ Me´d Le´g 1895;33:64–7. Starkeby M. Ultimate guide to forensic entomology: introduction. 2005; Wep-only essay. URL. Rasmy AH. Mites and insects as indicators of physical abuse. Acarines 2008;2:1–2. Lee DJ. Arthropod bites and stings and other injurious effects. School of Public Health and Tropical Midicine, University of Sydney; 1975. Walter DE, Proctor HC. Mites-ecology, evolution and behaviour. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing; 1991. Desch CE, Dailey MD, Tuomi P. Description of a hair follicle mite (Acari: Demodecidae) parasitic in the earless seal family Phocidae (Mammalia: Carnivora) from the harbor seal Phoca vitulina L. Int J Acarol 2003;29:231–5. Rasmy AH. Entomological and acarological evidence of bloodstain patterns in forensic investigation. Acarines 2011;5:1–2.
Forensic Medicine Authority
Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences www.ees.elsevier.com/ejfs www.sciencedirect.com
REVIEW ARTICLE
The humans lie but the spiders do not lie: An overview on forensic acarology Aly H. Rasmy National Research Centre, Entomology & Acarology, El Tahreer Street, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt Available online 16 September 2011
KEYWORDS Forensic acarology; Post mortem interval; Tyrophagous longior; Drug trafficking
Abstract An overview on forensic acarology and its application in forensic science has been discussed. Mites can provide forensically important information to estimate the post mortem interval, post burial interval, cause of death and relocation of a dead body. ª 2011 Forensic Medicine Authority. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Forensic acarology is the area of forensic science in which information provided by the acari is used in the investigations of crime scene usually concerned violent crimes or suspicious death.1 The application of mites in forensic investigation has received much attention in the recent years to provide forensically important information since mites have reported to be associated with dead bodies. The phoretic mites attached to flesh flies and blowflies arrive to a dead body within a few hours of death. Also, they can reach corpse by walking or carried by air to start succession and then enlarging mite populations.2 Therefore, spiders and fungivorous mites arrive lastly to feed on dry tissues, hairs and other decomposing remains of carrion.3 E-mail address: [email protected] 2090-536X ª 2011 Forensic Medicine Authority. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Peer review under responsibility of Forensic Medicine Authority. doi:10.1016/j.ejfs.2011.07.001
Production and hosting by Elsevier
However, Megnin4,5 was the first to use mites to estimate time of death in forensic investigations. He estimated the postmortem interval (PMI) of a newborn baby, in France, based on the biology of the associated stored product mite, Tyrophagous longior (Gerg). The assemblage of mites associated with the corpse revealed that the state of decay dated back about 2 years. Therefore, the question of guilt was thrown upon the earlier occupants of the house instead of the current ones. In addition to telling the truth, spiders can provide valuable information regarding drug trafficking to find out where the drugs were produced. Starkeby6 reported that a brick of marijuana being shipped from Columbia to USA; while entering, the drugs were seized. Analysis revealed that a unique spider species recorded only in Columbian mountains was noted associated with the drug. Recently, the scope of forensic acarology goes further than the application of mites to estimate time of death, circumstances of death or relocation of dead bodies, particularly in habitat where insects are rare or absent. Interestingly, in an article by the author7 it was reported that mites can be used as forensic indicators in case of neglect or physical abuse. For example, the scale mite, Sarcoptes scabiei L. tends to colonize the vagrant people as a result of their poor hygienic conditions, and also people of advanced age who have not been able to maintain their bodily hygiene.8 In this issue, demodcid
110 mites inhabit also face eyelashes, hair follicles, sebaceous glands, earwax, scalp, nipples, penis and buttocks.9,10 As a side note, no evidence on bloodstain artifact resulted from mite activity in the scene of a crime has been reported yet. This could be due to their tiny size and thus, it is believed that the mechanical transmission of blood from a pooled surface to a blood free surface by mites is undetected by the public or the naked eye.11 After all, it is clear that the analysis of acarological evidences seems to be important factor in the determination of guilt or innocence. Unfortunately, the lack of official support keeps compromising any attempts of applying forensic entomology in medico-legal investigations in many countries. References 1. Rasmy AH. Forensic acarololgy: a new area for forensic investigation. Acarines 2007;1:4–5. 2. Perotti MA, Braig HR. Forensic acarologyProc. 6th meeting of the European assoc. for forensic entomology. Crete; 2008. p. 12. 3. Goof ML. Use of acari in establishing a postmortem interval in homicide case in island of Oahu, Hawaii. In: Dusbabek F, Bukva
A.H. Rasmy
4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
9. 10.
11.
V, editors. Modern acarology, vol. 1. The Hague, Netherlands: Academia; 1991. p. 439–42. Me´gnin JP. La fauna de cadavres: application de l’entomologie a la me´decine le´gale: Encyclope´die Scientifique des AidesMe´moire. Paris: Masson et Gauthiers-Villars et Fils; 1894. Me´gnin JP. La fauna de cadavres (the fauna of carcasses). Ann Hyg Publ Me´d Le´g 1895;33:64–7. Starkeby M. Ultimate guide to forensic entomology: introduction. 2005; Wep-only essay. URL