ABSTRACT With homicide rates higher than the world average, Brazil stands out as one of the most violent countries worldwide. Time of death estimation based solely on body changes can be biased or inaccurate; forensic entomology can play a determinant role in such cases. Accurate knowledge of necrophilous fauna is essential to validate experimental data and allows for the application of entomological evidence in forensic investigations, which benefits scientists, investigators, and society in general. Entomological evidence from Curitiba and 22 nearby cities were collected by crime scene investigators from the Scientific Police of Paraná. The corpses were found in diverse environments and specimens from each species were collected from all life stages. We present data from 25 cases from 2011 to 2014, including associated species, new records, and comparisons between existing experimental data and data from species collected in the cases presented. We identified 23 total species, of which eight species of Coleoptera and two species of Diptera have not previously been recorded on corpses. In all cases, Calliphoridae (76%) and Silphidae (48%) were the most numerous families collected. Working together with the scientific police gave us insight into which species lacked detailed records and enabled us to collaboratively focus on resolving deficits in our knowledge of necrophagous insects.

ABSTRACT The population dynamics of a species tends to change from the core to the periphery of its distribution. Therefore, one could expect peripheral populations to be subject to a higher level of stress than more central populations (the center–periphery hypothesis) and consequently should present a higher level of fluctuating asymmetry. To test these predictions we study asymmetry in wing shape of five populations of Drosophila antonietae collected throughout the distribution of the species using fluctuating asymmetry as a proxy for developmental instability. More specifically, we addressed the following questions: (1) what types of asymmetry occur in populations of D. antonietae? (2) Does the level of fluctuating asymmetry vary among populations? (3) Does peripheral populations have a higher fluctuating asymmetry level than central populations? We used 12 anatomical landmarks to quantify patterns of asymmetry in wing shape in five populations of D. antonietae within the framework of geometric morphometrics. Net asymmetry – a composite measure of directional asymmetry + fluctuating asymmetry – varied significantly among populations. However, once net asymmetry of each population is decomposed into directional asymmetry and fluctuating asymmetry, most of the variation in asymmetry was explained by directional asymmetry alone, suggesting that populations of D. antonietae have the same magnitude of fluctuating asymmetry throughout the geographical distribution of the species. We hypothesize that larval development in rotting cladodes might play an important role in explaining our results. In addition, our study underscores the importance of understanding the interplay between the biology of a species and its geographical patterns of asymmetry.

Males of sexually dimorphic anthribid species display structural modifications that suggest sexual selection. Polyphenism, which is expressed through morphological and behavioral novelties, is an important component of the evolutionary process of these beetles. In this study, we endeavored to ascertain the presence of variations in selected monomorphic traits, polyphenism in males, and variation in structures associated with sexual dimorphism and allometric patterns in two species: Systaltocerus platyrhynus Labram & Imhoff, 1840 and Hypselotropis prasinata (Fahraeus, 1839). To that end, we used Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Variate analysis (CVA) to statistically analyze 26 measurements of 91 specimens. The PCA discriminated three groups (females, major, and minor males) for S. platyrhinus, but only two groups (males and females) for H. prasinata. The same groups discriminated by the PCA for Systaltocerus were confirmed by the CVA analysis, indicating a highly significant variation separating the three groups. We also analyzed positive allometry with respect to prothorax length - independent variable by Reduced Major Axis (RMA). The allometric pattern indicated by most of the linear measurements was strong and corroborates a possible relationship between male polyphenism and the reproductive behavior of major and minor males. We believe that these patterns, in species that show both sexual dimorphism and male polyphenism, are associated with the behavior of defending the female during oviposition, performed by major males.

Mesmo tendo sido desenvolvido um arcabouço teórico dos processos que estruturam as comunidades, existem poucos testes dos mecanismos que promovem a coexistência em comunidades locais. Neste trabalho é descrito um experimento de campo desenhado para determinar o papel da partilha de recursos como um mecanismo promotor da coexistência e do aumento da diversidade usando comunidade necrófagas como modelo. Para realizar este estudo foram deixadas no campo para que fossem colonizadas, 36 carcaças com peso variando entre 17 e 440 g em um experimento com três repetições. A comunidade é composta de 21 espécies de moscas necrófagas. As análises iniciais sugeriam partilha de recursos mas existe mais sobreposição do que é esperado ao acaso e o nível de especialização em relação ao tamanho da carcaça foi baixo. Assim, as evidências indicam que a partilha de recursos não pode ser o principal mecanismo promotor da coexistência, considerando o tamanho das carcaças utilizadas.

Even though an extensive framework has been develop on community structuring process, there have been few tests of mechanisms promoting coexistence in local communities.We report field experiments designed to assess the role of resource partitioning as a mechanism promoting coexistence and enhancing diversity using necrophagous communities as a model system. In order to achieve this objective we let in field to be colonize, 36 carcasses with weight ranging from 17 to 440 g, performing three repetitions. The community was composed by twenty one species of necrophagous flies. Initial analysis suggest some level of resource partitioning but there were more overlap than could be accounted by chance and the level of specialization on carcass size were very low. Based on this findings resource partitioning could not be promoting coexistence and another mechanism should be invoked to account for such effect.

A coexistência em comunidades locais pode ser mediada através de vários mecanismos tais como competição interespecífica e heterogeneidade espacial e temporal. Neste trabalho é analisada uma guilda de insetos necrófagos para se determinar o papel desempenhado pela agregação na estrutura da comunidade. Um experimento foi delineado para se testar as premissas derivadas do modelo de coexistência por agregação que, em resumo, requer que no balanço entre a competição intra e interespecífica, a primeira deva ser maior, para fazer com a coexistência seja possível. Os dados coletados compreendem dois protocolos: a coleta de adultos visitando a carcaça e a criação das larvas coletadas na carcaça. Os resultados demonstram que 21 espécies necrófagas foram criadas e 18 espécies coletadas. Todas as espécies mostraram-se distribuídas de forma agregada sobre os recursos e, embora vários valores negativos foram obtidos nos índice de associação, a tendência geral foi de uma covariação neutra entre as espécies. A análise confirma que a agregação pode manter a diversidade nesta comunidade.

Coexistence in local communities could be mediated through several mechanisms such as interespecific competition, temporal and spatial heterogeneity. In this paper we analyse a highly diverse guild of necrophagous insects to determine the role played by aggregation on community structure. An experiment was designed to test predictions derived from aggregation model of coexistence that in short require that in the balance between intra and interespecific competition, the first one must be greater than interespecific competition in order to make coexistence more likely. The data gathered comprise two protocols: collecting adults visiting carcasses and rearing maggots collected from carcasses. The results showed a total of 21 necrophagous species reared and 18 collected. All species showed clumped patterns of distribution over resources and even though several negative values were found in association indices, the overall trend was a neutral covariation between species. The analysis also confirms that aggregation could maintain diversity in this community.

Patterns of parasite abundance and prevalence are thought to be influenced by several host characteristics such as size, sex, developmental stage, and seasonality. We examined two obligatory ectoparasites of the bat Noctilio leporinus (L.) (Chiroptera, Noctilionidae) to test whether prevalence and abundance of Noctiliostrebla aitkeni Wenzel and Paradyschiria fusca Speiser (Diptera, Streblidae) are influenced by the host characteristics. During this survey, 2110 flies were collected. The total abundance was 1150 N. aitkeni and 950 P. fusca. The prevalence of both species was shown to be superior to 75% and neither host size, sex, reproductive stage nor season influenced significantly the variation of the observed values. N. aitkeni were more abundant than P. fusca in all seasons except winter. Both flies showed a significant seasonal variation in terms of abundance but host biological characteristics (host size, sex, and reproductive stage) did not play a significant role as structuring factors of the batflies component community.