Morphological analysis of three North American species of Oiceoptoma (Coleoptera: Silphidae) with implications for forensic science

The Silphidae beetle genus Oiceoptoma Leach 1815 currently contains three species in North America. Two of the species, Oiceoptoma inaequale (Fabricius 1781) and O. rugulosum (Portevin 1903), have been considered by previous authors as one species with O. rugulosum as a southern subspecies. Data supporting either species hypothesis is sparse. This study utilizes morphological characters of the male genitalia in addition to external morphometric data to test each of the species hypotheses. Geographical locality and seasonal records were also entered into a database, from museum specimens, in an effort to support either species hypothesis further. Each of these species is associated with vertebrate decomposition and all are considered forensically significant members of the carrion insect community. Correct species taxonomy and identification in conjunction with knowledge of species ecology is the cornerstone of forensic entomology.