Barcoding Analysis for Identification of Insect Species on Decaying Remains

Authors

  • Mgr. Ing. Tamara Mifková Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, Brno 613 00, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5425-4183
  • prof. RNDr. Aleš Knoll, Ph.D. Department of Morphology, Physiology and Animal Genetics, Faculty of Agrosciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4230-8535
  • Ing. Kristýna Skoupá 2Department of Morphology, Physiology and Animal Genetics, Faculty of Agrosciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Keywords:

forensic entomology, barcoding, COI, BOLD, BLAST

Abstract

The identification of necrophagous individuals on a dead body is most often associated with forensic practice and the field of forensic entomology. Insects are found on a dead body depending on climatic conditions, with the seasons naturally accelerating the decomposition of tissues, and successive waves gradually reducing the amount of soft tissue remaining. The aim of this work was to compare the composition of the necrophagous invertebrate species occurring on the different carcasses (Gallus gallus vs. Sus scrofa f. domestica). A second objective was to evaluate which of the identification tools comparing COI gene sequences is currently more appropriate for barcoding and whether there are significant differences in the results of the BOLD and BLAST identification tools between the samples examined. Molecular determination was done using Sanger sequencing of the COI fragment of mitochondrial DNA. In total, 96 individuals and 13 species were identified in the Gallus gallus carcass and 50 individuals and 17 species on the Sus scrofa (f. domestica) carcass. Calliphora vomitoria was determined as most abundant species in both carcasses. The reliability of the BOLD and BLAST identification methods is comparably high

 

Author Biographies

  • Mgr. Ing. Tamara Mifková, Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, Brno 613 00, Czech Republic

     

     

     

  • prof. RNDr. Aleš Knoll, Ph.D., Department of Morphology, Physiology and Animal Genetics, Faculty of Agrosciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

     

     

     

  • Ing. Kristýna Skoupá, 2Department of Morphology, Physiology and Animal Genetics, Faculty of Agrosciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

     

     

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Published

2024-01-08

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 4 (2023)

Section

Animal Science

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Copyright (c) 2024 Mgr. Ing. Tamara Mifková, prof. RNDr. Aleš Knoll, Ph.D., Ing. Kristýna Skoupá

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