Abstract
The study of cadaver fauna is the most important aspect of forensic entomology, and it is based on successional patterns of insects that feed on decaying carcasses. Many ant species have scavenger lifestyles, and thus have the potential for use in forensic entomology studies. There are no previous studies of ant fauna as forensic entomology tools in state of Maranhao. Here we characterize ants found on domestic swine carcasses at different stages of decomposition, with the goal of initiating a forensic entomology database in the state. We collected ants between November and December 2012 on two pig carcasses. A third carcass with no ant collection was used as a control to assess the influence of ant removal on decomposition rate. We captured 1,692 Formicidae in total, distributed among 10 genera and including 17 species. The most abundant species was Solenopsis saevissima , with 55.6% of relative abundance. Solenopsis was present at various stages of decomposition either feeding on carcass tissues or exudates, or preying on larval, pupal and newly emerged adult flies. Ants associated with this environment had high species richness and abundance in all stages of decomposition. We suggest that these insects influence the decomposition process either as facilitators (i.e., by laceration and fragmentation of tissue) or as hindering agents (i.e., due to predation upon other scavenging organisms).
Highlights
The most important aspect of forensic entomology is the study of cadaveric fauna, which is based on the successional patterns of insects that feed on decomposing carcasses (Catts & Goff, 1992)
Because some ant species display necrophagous affinities, these social insects have potential to aid in crime solving in forensic entomology studies
In one forensic study using visual observation only, Luederwaldt (1911) reported nine ant species distributed among nine genera
Summary
The most important aspect of forensic entomology is the study of cadaveric fauna, which is based on the successional patterns of insects that feed on decomposing carcasses (Catts & Goff, 1992). Less studied, ants and other insects belong to the cadaveric fauna, actively participating in the fractionation and decomposition of vertebrate carcasses (Cruz & Vasconcelos, 2006; Moretti & Ribeiro, 2006). Because some ant species display necrophagous affinities, these social insects have potential to aid in crime solving in forensic entomology studies. Studies of ants and their relationship with decomposition of cadavers appear among the oldest in forensic entomology in Brazil (Luederwaldt, 1911; Freire, 1914), studies of their role and importance in the vertebrate decomposition process have been neglected (Payne, 1965; Nuorteva, 1974). The role of the Hymenoptera, especially ants, has taken a secondary position in forensic entomology
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