Determination of the fauna of forensically important Arthropoda in the North of Iran

Availability of preliminary data on fauna and distribution of forensically important insects in a region is very important. Considering absence of such data in the north of Iran¡ this was study was undertaken with the aim of finding the fauna of insects on rabbit carcasses as an animal model in Babol¡ a city in the north of Iran.
This study was conducted in three areas¡ that is¡ urban¡ semi-urban and rural¡ in summer and autumn in 2014. Using Schoenly traps¡ samples were collected once daily until the decomposition of the rabbit carcasses was complete.
A total of 1978 adult flies from 17 species were identified. The main fly families included Calliphoridae¡ Sarcophagidae¡ Muscidae and Fanniidae. On the whole¡ the families with the highest and lowest numbers were Muscidae and Phoridae¡ respectively. Some families of minor medical importance¡ such as Anthomyiidae¡ Sepsidae¡ Phoridae and Stratiomyidae¡ were collected in small numbers. The Sarcophaga melanura was introduced in Iran for the first time.
The main finding of this study is identification of some of the most important flies and other anthropoda¡ which can be very helpful and useful in forensic investigations – finding time and place of death. Classification of the data on species based on their ecosystems is another important finding emphasized in this study¡ something of practical importance in scene of crime investigations.