Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Attracted to Rabbit Carcasses in Three Different Habitats

Ashraf Mashaly,Fahd Al-Mekhlafi,Gail Anderson,Medghom Al-Subeai,Abdulrahman Aldawood,Mostafa R Sharaf

doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v65i3.2895

Ashraf Mashaly, Fahd Al-Mekhlafi + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v65i3.2895

Copy DOI

Journal: Sociobiology	Publication Date: Oct 2, 2018
Citations: 7	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: King Saud University, Simon Fraser University

Abstract

This study reports the ant species that were attracted to rabbit carcasses in three different habitats (agricultural, desert, urban) in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from May to July 2014. Rabbit carcasses were used as a model for decomposition. Carcasses were categorized as exposed, clothed, shaded and burnt. A total of 726 ants belonging to three subfamilies and 14 species were collected during the decomposition process. Trichomyrmex mayri (Forel) was the only ant species attracted to the carcasses placed in the desert site. At the agricultural site, there was one ponerine species, five formicine species, and three myrmicine species were attracted, while at the urban site, five formicine species and one myrmicine species were recorded. The agricultural site attracted the highest number of ants. In contrast, the desert site attracted the lowest number of ants. Tr. mayri was the most prevalent species occurring in both the agricultural and desert sites. The bloated stage of decomposition attracted the highest number of ants followed by the decay, fresh and dry stages, respectively. Clothed carcasses attracted the highest number of ants followed by the exposed and burnt carcasses, respectively. The shaded carcasses attracted the fewest number of ants. This study found that ants are attracted to carcasses at all stages of decomposition and are common components of the necrofauna of central Saudi Arabia.

Highlights

The combined weight of all living ants has been estimated to constitute half the mass of all extant insects (Sleigh, 2003) and individual ants outnumber most other terrestrial animals (Taylor, 2007)
Ants can accelerate the decomposition process by producing abrasions or injuries facilitating the attraction of other species of necrophagous insects (Gunn, 2006)
The greatest number of ants were collected from the carcasses at the agricultural site and ants were present in all decompositional stages on the clothed and exposed carcasses and in the fresh, bloat and decay stages on the shaded and burnt carcasses, but were not present during the dry remains stage of these treatments

Summary

Introduction

The combined weight of all living ants has been estimated to constitute half the mass of all extant insects (Sleigh, 2003) and individual ants outnumber most other terrestrial animals (Taylor, 2007). Ant species constitute the largest family in the order Hymenoptera, which, in itself, is the third most numerous order of insects after Diptera (true flies) and Coleoptera (beetles) (Taylor, 2007). Ants can accelerate the decomposition process by producing abrasions or injuries facilitating the attraction of other species of necrophagous insects (Gunn, 2006). Sometimes, these ants cause lesions that can be misinterpreted as premortem mutilations, which can lead to errors in forensic analyses (Moretti & Ribeiro, 2006; Campobasso et al, 2009; Lindgren et al, 2011; Moretti et al, 2011). The Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta (Buren) can

Methods

Results

Conclusion