Ants associated with a rat carcass: its implications in forensic entomology with special emphasis on Carebara diversa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract

The arthropod succession on carrion plays a forensically important role in estimating minimum post-mortem intervals (mPMIs). Among these arthropods, flies and beetles are the major arthropod community associated with carrion decomposition. However, there are other insects that can also be found on carcasses during decomposition. In the current study, activities of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) were observed during the decomposition of a rat carcass, which was placed on the surface of the soil within the vicinity of Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor. Ants were observed to directly affect the decomposition process by feeding on the rat carcass. We collected four species of ants from the rat carcass: Carebara diversa (Jerdon 1851) (both soldier and worker castes), Brachyponera luteipes (Mayr1862), Anoplolepis gracilipes (Smith, F. 1857) and Monomorium floricola (Jerdon 1851). Among these species, C. diversa was observed to cover the whole rat carcass with soil particles, which then subsequently prevented oviposition or colonization by flies and beetles.