A preliminary study of insect fauna present in a cow carcass found in northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Animal carcasses in natural environments are a food source for various organisms, such as fungi, bacteria, and insects. Insects also utilize this ephemeral resource for oviposition and development of their offspring, with the immatures being responsible for the greatest consumption of the resource. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize the fauna of necrophagous insects associated with a cow carcass Bos taurus Linnaeus found in the municipality of São Raimundo das Mangabeiras, Maranhão, Brazil. Insects were sampled using forceps and entomological nets for eight days, with the immatures being taken to the Laboratory of Entomology and Vectors (LEV) and subsequently reared at room temperature. A total of 1,149 specimens were sampled, comprising 141 adults and 1,017 immatures. Among the adults, the species Chrysomya albiceps (Widemann), Necrobia rufipes (Fabricius), and Dermestes maculatus (De Geer) were prominent. Regarding immatures, all insects that emerged were of the species C. albiceps. Additionally, we report the first record of Chrysomya putoria (Widemann), Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), and Hemertia illucens (Linnaeus) visiting bovine carcasses in the Neotropical region. The results reveal a late colonization of C. albiceps in advanced stages, confirming the importance of research with carcasses in the context of forensic entomology.

Keywords

• beetles
• calliphoridae
• descomposition
• necrophagous insects