Preliminary observations on necrophagous insects visiting a pig carrion and decomposition effects on soil fauna.

Entomological evidence can be a useful tool in forensic studies; however, to precise information about time and place of death maximally, it is necessary to have climatic and biogeographic parameters of the site where the object of studies is located. As no data are reported on Parma province on necrophagous insects visiting corpses, a pig carrion was placed in a rural place along the right side of Baganza channel and necrophagous insects were studied during the colonization process. The study started the 28th October 2005 and it finished on the 5th December 2005. Despite low temperatures (average temperature 10° C) many insects were found. Calliphoridae, Muscidae and Fannidae were the most represented families. Results, as reported in previous studies performed in similar environments, show that the first flies to reach the carrion were Lucilia caesar (Linnaeus, 1758) and Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus, 1758)2 which deposed eggs on the second day. To evaluate the time elapsed since the death (PMI), the developmental time of various necrobiont flies was measured using Marchenko's method. In order to evaluate effects of decomposition processes on edaphic mesofauna different soil samples taken beneath the carrion and at one meter distance were analysed and compared. Differences in microarthropods community structures of these two samples were found.