| Title: | Responses of Lucilia sericata Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae) to cadaveric volatile organic compounds |
| Author(s): | Frederickx C; Dekeirsschieter J; Verheggen FJ; Haubruge E; |
| Address: | "Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, University of Liege, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Gembloux, Belgium. cfrederickx@ulg.ac.be" |
| DOI: | 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.02010.x |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1556-4029 (Electronic) 0022-1198 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Flies of the Calliphoridae Family are the most forensically important insects because of their abundance on the decedent during the first minutes following death. Necrophagous insects are attracted at a distance by a decomposing body, through the use of volatile chemical cues. We tested the possible attractive role of some volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) released by decaying cadavers, on male and female of Lucilia sericata Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Two complementary approaches were used. Electroantennography (EAG) allowed identifying the semiochemicals that are detected by the olfactory system of L. sericata. Dose-response tests with EAG showed that dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) and butan-1-ol elicited the highest responses. Behavioral assays showed that, among the VOCs tested, DMDS and butan-1-ol are attractive for L. sericata, while the other VOCs are repulsive or do not cause any behavior. Our results may have potential implications in a better understanding of attractiveness of blowflies toward a corpse" |
| Keywords: | Analysis of Variance Animals Cadaver Diptera/*physiology Electrophysiological Phenomena Entomology Feeding Behavior/*physiology Female Forensic Pathology Humans Male Odorants *Postmortem Changes Volatile Organic Compounds/*analysis; |
| Notes: | "MedlineFrederickx, Christine Dekeirsschieter, Jessica Verheggen, Francois J Haubruge, Eric eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2011/12/14 J Forensic Sci. 2012 Mar; 57(2):386-90. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.02010.x. Epub 2011 Dec 8" |
