# Post Mortem Artifacts by Pheidole pallidula (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on a Human Corpse and an Overview of the Genus Pheidole in Forensic Entomology

## TL;DR

This paper reports the first case of skin damage on a human corpse caused by Pheidole pallidula ants in Southern Italy and discusses the forensic implications of such damage.

## Contribution

The first documented case of post-mortem skin artifacts caused by Pheidole pallidula ants on a human corpse.

## Key findings

- Pheidole pallidula ants were found feeding on a human corpse in Cosenza, causing skin lesions.
- No other insects were present on the corpse during the autopsy.
- The genus Pheidole is highlighted for its potential impact on forensic investigations.

## Abstract

We report for the first time a case of skin lesions due to active feeding of the ant Pheidole pallidula on a human corpse found in a suburban area of Cosenza (Region Calabria, Southern Italy). The autopsy revealed only major and minor workers of the species on the body, but no other insects. Ants are known to cause post-mortem skin damage on human and animal corpses and these damages may hinder pathologists’ forensic investigations into the cause, location and time of death. As this is the first case of skin artifacts caused on a human body by ants of the genus Pheidole, an overview of the relevance of the genus in forensic entomology is also provided.

Many ant species play a relevant role in the successional patterns of insects colonizing human and animal corpses. Although feeding behavior in ants depends on the trophic preferences of each taxon, these insects are often reported in several studies as predators of eggs, larvae, and adults of necrophagous insects. Among ants, some species are known to cause damage on human and animal dermis, known as post-mortem skin artifacts. The extensive activity of worker ants on corpses may hinder forensic pathological investigations aimed at determining the cause and location of death, as well as the assessment of entomologists in estimating the minimum post-mortem interval. We report for the first time a case of skin lesions on a human corpse found in a suburban area of the city of Cosenza (Calabria, Southern Italy), caused by the ant Pheidole pallidula (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). During the autopsy, numerous individuals (major and minor workers) were observed feeding on the corpse, but no other insects were found on it. We discuss the appearance of skin artifacts caused by P. pallidula and provide an overview of the genus Pheidole in forensic entomology.