Forensic Entomology: an inventory of Arthropods collected on the decomposing pig Carrions during the dry season in Warri, Southern Nigeria

Arthropods found on the pig carrions in the dry season in the Warri city at05°32’34.95"N and 05°44’39.834"E from 10th December 2017 to 10th February 2018studied. Three pigs were killed and their decomposition monitored for 60 days,arthropods were collected with the aid of sweep nets, brushes, handpicking and pitfalltraps while the soil below the decaying pig carrions were searched extensively twicedaily for the first week and once daily for the remaining weeks. Data analysis wasdone by Microsoft excel while graphs were used to demonstrate the frequencies of thearthropods in every phase of decomposition, pie chart was used to elucidate stages ofputrefaction and their respective periods. The outcome of the study showed fiveexclusive stages of decay: fresh, bloated, active decay, advance decay and dry decaycorrespondingly. The fresh stage took shortest days of 2 as the dry decay took longestdays of 41. A total of 1495 arthropods were collected, at the fresh stage, there were244 arthropods, while 213 were Diptera, only 19 were Hymenoptera and 12 were alsoColeoptera but at the bloated stage of decomposition, a total of 273 arthropods wererecorded, Diptera were 223 as hymenoptera were 21 and Coleoptera were 29 while atthe active decay stage of decomposition there were a total of 437 arthropods, 333 ofthem were Diptera, 29 were Hymenoptera as 75 were Coleoptera but at the advancedecay stage of decomposition, there were a total of 438 arthropods, 225 of them wereDiptera, 30 were Hymenoptera as 91 were Coleoptera but at the dry decay stage ofdecomposition, only 195 arthropods were recorded, 96 of them were Diptera, 21 wereHymenoptera and 78 were Coleoptera in that order, for the reason that the Coleopteraand Diptera used the decaying pig carrions for breeding of their offspring, they couldbe used in the estimation of the time after death hence are of immense forensicimportance while the role of the recorded Hymenoptera could also be of greatimportance as the tears and wears that they created on the carrions could be cause oferror in the estimation of the time of death and their predatory role could also give afake entomofauna documentation data, more researches of this nature are to be carriedout in Warri city and other neighboring communities in order to document reliabledatabase of arthropod of forensic importance in the oil rich city.