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Influence of Paraquat on Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Infesting Minced‐beef Substrates in Kelantan, Malaysia
Author(s) -
Mahat Naji A.,
Yin Chu L.,
Jayaprakash Paul T.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.12355
Subject(s) - chrysomya megacephala , calliphoridae , paraquat , toxicology , forensic entomology , biology , veterinary medicine , ecology , medicine , larva , biochemistry
This study investigated the influence of paraquat, a prevalent poison used by suicides, on initial oviposition and development of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) using minced‐beef substrates. Paraquat in lethal dose for human (40 mg/kg), two times the lethal dose (80 mg/kg) and five times the lethal dose (200 mg/kg) were mixed thoroughly with respective minced‐beef substrates (1 kg each) that were decomposed in a shaded habitat fully protected from rain. Results of four replications of the above experiment revealed that the presence of paraquat neither delayed initial oviposition nor prolonged the developmental stages of C. megacephala . Therefore, estimation of postmortem interval ( PMI ) based on empirical baseline data obtained using animal models devoid of any poisons would still be appropriate for estimating PMI in paraquat‐related deaths.