The biology and ecology of Necrodes littoralis, a species of forensic interest in Europe

Necrodes littoralis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Silphidae), also known as the “shore sexton beetle,” is a common silphid beetle that visits and breeds on large vertebrate cadavers. This study describes, for the first time, the involvement of N. littoralis on human corpses based on a large dataset of 154 French forensic cases. Various parameters regarding corpse location, decomposition stages, and entomofauna were extracted from each file. Compared to all of the forensic entomology cases analyzed between 1990 and 2013 (1028), N. littoralis was observed, on average, in one case out of eight; most of these cases occurred during spring and summer (73.5 %). More than 90 % of the cases were located outdoors, especially in woodlands, bushes, and fields. The decomposition stage of the corpse varied among cases, with more than 50 % in the advanced decomposition stage, 36 % in the early decomposition stage, and less than 10 % in the fresh, mummified, or skeletonized stages. Regarding other necrophagous species sampled with N. littoralis, Calliphorid flies were found in 94 % of the cases and Fanniidae/Muscidae in 65 % of the cases. Chrysomya albiceps, a heliophilic species mostly located in the Mediterranean area, was present in 34 % of the cases (only 20 % in the whole dataset). The most common coleopteran species were Necrobia spp. (Coleoptera: Cleridae) and Creophilus maxillosus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae); these beetles were observed in 27 % of the cases. The over-representation of these species is likely due to similar requirements regarding the climate and decomposition stage. As N. littoralis is frequently observed and tends to become more common, we conclude that the developmental data for this species would be a precious tool for forensic entomologists in Europe.