Abstract

WOLFF, Marta; ZAPATA, Yovanny; MORALES, Gladis  and  BENECKE, Mark. Detection and Quantification of Proporxur in a Succession of Insects of Medico-Legal Importance. Rev. Colomb. Entomol. [online]. 2006, vol.32, n.2, pp.159-164. ISSN 0120-0488.

To detect and quantify the amount of propoxur in insects of forensic importance and over the chance of finding entomotoxicologic indicators, the HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) technique was used in individuals collected during the ecological succession associated to the corpses of three rabbits, which were sacrificed by means of a 10 ml propoxur overdose, and with a control fourth rabbit which was sacrificed by cervical breakup. The rabbits were checked during 28 days three times a day (07:00, 13:00 and 18:00 hours). During this period immature and adult insects were collected; the environmental temperature, corporal temperature and lost of weight were taken. From the collected material, 73 individuals between immature (larvae I, II, III, pupas) and adults of orders Diptera and Coleoptera were selected and evaluated by the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) technique. A positive result in 56% of the samples from first instars to adult stage, as well as in all the states of decomposition, was obtained. This technique allowed high sensitivity (from 0.1 g or less for each sample) in the quantification of remains of propoxur in larvae and adult insects. Samples with a weight of 0.0029 g for Diptera and 0.029 g for Coleoptera were quantified. The minimum detected concentration (0,671 ppm) was found in dipters Calliphoridae and Muscidae stadium II larvae and the maximum quantified concentration (229,721 ppm) was found in Lucilia eximia (Diptera: Calliphoridae) stadium III larvae, percentages of 0,04 and 0,34 respectively.

Keywords : Enthomotoxicology; Forensic Enthomology; High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).

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