Which of the following insects colonises a corpse in the LAST wave of decomposition, appearing during the dry/skeletal stage and feeding on keratin, hair, and dried skin?

• A Calliphora vicina (blowfly)
• B Lucilia sericata (greenbottle fly)
• C Dermestes maculatus (hide beetle) ✓
• D Sarcophaga species (flesh fly)

Explanation

Beetle species such as Dermestes (hide and larder beetles) and Anthrenus (carpet beetles) belong to later successional waves of arthropod colonisation. They appear in the dry/skeletal phase and feed on dried skin, hair, keratinous residues, and preserved fatty tissues. Calliphora and Lucilia species are primary colonisers arriving within hours of death. Sarcophaga (flesh flies) are early secondary colonisers. The successional wave sequence (primary blowflies → secondary flesh flies → late beetles) is fundamental to forensic entomology.

Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Narayan Reddy), 34th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.