Life history traits of Necrobia rufipes (De Geer, 1775) (Coleoptera: Cleridae) on pig and rabbit substrates in the Northern Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso

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Résumé

Forensic entomology focused on sarcosaprophagous insects and arthropods may provide a sound tool for assessment of
Post Mortem Interval (PMI) and could provide scientific evidence for date of deaths. However, few data on necrophagous
insect are available in many western African countries particulary in Burkina Faso. The current study focused on Necrobia
rufipes, an insect known to be appear on highly decomposed and skeletonized corpses of mammals. The study was carried
out at the Central Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology of Kamboinsé (LCEAK), within the Institute for Environment
and Agricultural Research (INERA), from April 2021 to April 2023 in Burkina Faso. These two substrates were chosen
due to the phylogenetic proximity of their genomes to the human genome, as well as the ease of access to these animals.
This study aimed at examining some biological parameters of N. rufipes on pig and rabbit used as substrate under ambient
conditions. Knowledge of this information can help estimate the time at which a murder was committed in humans. As
results, eggs took an average of 72 h to hatch regardless substrate. The duration of larval stages was shorter on pigs than
those found in rabbits and ranged from 2 to 11 days on average. Statistical analyses performed showed that substrates
had a highly significant effect (P<0.0001) on the life span of both adult’s female and male as well as on female oviposition. The life span of males fed on pig was significantly higher than those fed on rabbit, with values of 74.82±10.34 and
27.55±4.71 days respectively, while for females, the lifespan was 90.36±10.77 and 36.67±4.92 days on pigs and rabbits
respectively. Moreover, N. rufipes laid more eggs on pigs (285.75±56.94) than on rabbits (5.50 ±1.14 eggs). Pigs remained
the most preferred food substrate compared to rabbits and confirmed that they were a good model for forensic investigations. The Knowledge of these parameters could help to get skills for assessing the Post Mortem Interval.

Mots-clés

Forensic entomology ,Post mortem interval, Pig, Rabbit, Biology