Abstract
Ants are a highly diverse group that not only are often strongly associated with certain habitat types, but also can be found on carcasses and, therefore, in crime scenes. In the present study, a survey of the necrophilous ants in Taiwan was conducted and a preliminary species checklist was provided for the first time. The aim of this study was primarily to offer information on Taiwanese ant species of forensic significance. A total of 50 ant species/morphospecies from 26 genera were collected from large scale regions in Taiwan using combination pig liver bait and pitfall traps, bringing the Taiwanese necrophilous ants up to 55 species from 33 genera within the known Taiwanese ant fauna of 288 species from 71 genera. Seventeen species found in this study are tramp or potentially exotic species, which often dominated the baits. Use of pitfall traps increased the diversity of ants collected relative to hand-collecting from the carcass, adding useful data. These necrophilous ants may play important roles in carcass decomposition and can be useful in reconstructing crime scenes, as certain ants are more common in certain habitat types. This checklist and accompanying habitat information of these ants is likely the first such comprehensive data in Taiwan applying ants to the field of forensic entomology.
Highlights
IntroductionIn part, the study of the arthropods related to the decomposition of carcasses
Forensic entomology is, in part, the study of the arthropods related to the decomposition of carcasses
Minimum postmortem interval, representing the minimum period of time elapsed since death, can be estimated by using the life history data of blow fly larvae (Calliphoridae), and the community of arthropod succession can be used to estimate the stages of carcass decomposition (VanLaerhoven, 2008)
Summary
In part, the study of the arthropods related to the decomposition of carcasses. Studies in the field can aid in reconstructing the decomposition process of the carcass, with significance for medicolegal investigations (Amendt et al, 2004). As arthropod faunas differ within different types of habitats, they can provide clues to the location of a crime (Silahuddin et al, 2015). Ants (Formicidae) form different functional groups that reliably identify different types of habitats (Hölldobler & Wilson, 1990; Andersen et al, 2002), and are found on carcasses in different succession stages Ants may provide useful clues for forensic investigations
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