Table 1.

Compilation of five different stages of decomposition in correlation with dermestid beetle occurrence

Stage	Time	Description	Occurrence of dermestids
	[days p.m.a]
fresh	~ 0 - 2	autolytic processes
bloated	~ 2 - 6	inflated abdomen through
		gaseous byproducts of putrefaction
post-bloating	~ 5 - 11	skin rupture and release of trapped	arriving of adults in late post-bloating
		putrefactive gases
advanced	~ 10 - 25	most of the flesh has disappeared,	predominance of adults and first larvae
decay		some soft tissue remains in the
		abdomen
dry remains	~ > 25	only bones, hair and remains of	predominance of larvae
		dried-out skin	completion of larval development

^adays post mortem.

Data are modified after Powers [6], Centeno et al. [7], Goff [2] and Anderson & Vanlaerhoven [8].