Abstract: A preliminary study on the decomposition and insect community succession of pig carcase was carried out in Hangzhou District. The results showed that the decomposition of pig carcase put on outdoor ground could be distinguished into 5 continuous stages, I. E. fresh, bloated, decayed, dried and remains stages. Thirtythree common insect species of 19 families from 3 orders were found on the pig carcases. Among them, Aldrichina grahami, Lucilia sericata, Lucilia bazini, Chrysomya megacephala, and Parasarcophaga crassipalpis were the dominant ones. A distinct timerelated succession of insect community was observed during the decomposing of pig carcase. There was a distinct correlation between the appearing time of many insect groups and the decomposition stage of pig carcase. This correlation might be used as a foundation for the estimation of postmortem interval in forensic medicine.

Key words: pig carcase, insect community succession, forensic entomology