Stage 4: Black putrefaction - 10 to 20 days after death
The pig's body has collapsed with black exposed surfaces and creamy flesh. Photo: R. Major
State of decay
The bloated body eventually collapses, leaving a flattened body whose flesh has a creamy consistency. The exposed parts of the body are black in colour and there is a very strong smell of decay.
A large volume of body fluids drain from the body at this stage and seep into the surrounding soil. Other insects and mites feed on this material.
The insects consume the bulk of the flesh and the body temperature increases with their activity. Bacterial decay is still very important, and bacteria will eventually consume the body if insects are excluded.
Insect activity
By this stage, several generations of maggots are present on the body and some have become fully grown. They migrate from the body and bury themselves in the soil where they become pupae. Predatory maggots are much more abundant at this stage, and the pioneer flies cease to be attracted to the corpse. Predatory beetles lay their eggs in the corpse and their larvae then hatch out and feed on the decaying flesh. Parasitoid wasps are much more common, laying their eggs inside maggots and pupae.
Movies
Maggots are gregarious creatures that move as 'Maggot masses'. Video footage: R. Major
Windows Media (79kb)
Quicktime (275kb)
Tiny parasitoid wasps lay their eggs inside maggots as they migrate to a pupation site. Video footage: R. Major
Windows Media (79kb)
Quicktime (275kb)
These movies require one of the following players:
Further information
- Corpse Fauna
- Succession of different fauna that inhabit the corpse
- Cheating the decomposers
- Time is variable
Copyright © Australian Museum 2003
