@article {10397,
	title = {Carrion beetles visiting pig carcasses during early spring in urban, forest and agricultural biotopes of Western Europe},
	journal = {Journal of Insect Science},
	volume = {11, Article 73},
	year = {2011},
	abstract = {Carrion beetles are important in terrestrial ecosystems, consuming dead mammals and promoting
the recycling of organic matter into ecosystems. Most forensic studies are focused on succession
of Diptera while neglecting Coleoptera. So far, little information is available on carrion beetles
postmortem colonization and decomposition process in temperate biogeoclimatic countries.
These beetles are however part of the entomofaunal colonization of a dead body. Forensic
entomologists need databases concerning the distribution, ecology and phenology of
necrophagous insects, including silphids. Forensic entomology uses pig carcasses to surrogate
human decomposition and to investigate entomofaunal succession. However, few studies have
been conducted in Europe on large carcasses. The work reported here monitored the presence of
the carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) on decaying pig carcasses in three selected biotopes
(forest, crop field, urban site) at the beginning of spring. Seven species of Silphidae were
recorded: Nicrophorus humator (Gleditsch), Nicrophorus vespillo (L.), Nicrophorus vespilloides
(Herbst), Necrodes littoralis L., Oiceoptoma thoracica L., Thanatophilus sinuatus (Fabricius),
Thanatophilus rugosus (L.). All of these species were caught in the forest biotope, and all but O.
thoracica were caught in the agricultural biotope. No silphids were caught in the urban site.},
	keywords = {carrion ecology, decomposition, forensic entomology, insect succession, Silphidae},
	author = {Dekeirsschieter, J and Verheggen, FJ and Haubruge, E and Brostaux, Y}
}
