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17 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
1 hour after death
The body has droped 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit and has begun rigor mortis. Flies are attracted to the body. -
2 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
3 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
4 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. Enzymes inside individual cells are released when the cell dies. These enzymes break down the cell and its connections with other cells -
5 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
6 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
7 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. Although the body shortly after death appears fresh from the outside, the bacteria that before death were feeding on the contents of the intestine begin to digest the intestine itself. -
8 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
9 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
10 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
11 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
12 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. The body is cool to the touch. -
13 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
14 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
15 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
16 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
18 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
19 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
20 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
21 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
22 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
23 hours after death
Flies are attracted to bodies. -
24 hours after death
Eggs hatch and move into the body, -
30 hours after death
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36 hours after death
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42 hours after death
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60 hours after death
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48 hours after death
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54 hours after death
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66 hours after death
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72 hours after death
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4 days after death
The young maggots move throughout the body, spreading bacteria, secreting digestive enzymes and tearing tissues with their mouth hooks. The rate of decay increases, and the smells and body fluids that begin to eminate from the body attract more blowflies, flesh flies, beetles and mites. -
5 days after death
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6 days after death
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1 week after death
The skin has blistered and the slightest touch could cause it to fall off -
2 weeks after death
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.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. -
3 weeks after death
All the remaining flesh is removed over this period and the body dries out. It has a cheesy smell, caused by butyric acid, and this smell attracts a new suite of corpse organisms. -
1 month after death
The hair, nails and teeth will fall out. Beetles feed on the skin and ligaments. Many of these beetles are larvae. They hatch from eggs, laid by adults, which fed on the body in earlier stages of decay. -
5 weeks after death
The cheese fly consumes any remaining moist flesh at this stage, even though it is uncommon earlier in decay. -
6 weeks after death
Predators and parasitoids are still present at this stage including numerous wasps and beetle larvae. -
7 weeks after death
The surface of the body that is in contact with the ground becomes covered with mould as the body ferments -
2 months after death
The body is now dry and decays very slowly. -
9 weeks after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. -
10 weeks after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. -
11 weeks after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. -
3 months after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. This process continues till bone is all thats left. -
4 months after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. This process continues till bone is all thats left. -
5 months after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. This process continues till bone is all thats left.At the dry decay stage commonly found insects include Sphaeroceridae, Acarina, Nitidulidae, Cleridae, Dermestes caninus, Trogidae, Tyroglyphid mites, and the Tineid larvae. -
6 months after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. This process continues till bone is all thats left. -
7 months after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. This process continues till bone is all thats left. -
8 months after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. This process continues till bone is all thats left. The soil-inhabiting arthropods are Collembola, Dermaptera, Heteroptera, Coleoptera and their larvae, parasitic Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Diptera larvae, Pseudoscorpiones, Aranae, Plectochetos, Acari, Pauropoda, Symphyla, Geophilidae, Protura, and Aphididae -
9 months after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. This process continues till bone is all thats left. -
10 months after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. This process continues till bone is all thats left. -
11 months after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. This process continues till bone is all thats left. -
1 year after death
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms. This process continues till bone is all thats left.
