Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Activity Delays Vertebrate Carcass Decomposition
| Autor: | Ciro Líbio Caldas dos Santos, Carla Raielli Rocha Silva, Eunice Kethure Coelho Pereira, Maria da Conceição Abreu Bandeira, Leandro Santos Moraes, José Manuel Macário Rebêlo, Orleans Silva, Joudellys Andrade-Silva |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
forensic entomology
030231 tropical medicine Hymenoptera 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Nest biology.animal Colonization 030216 legal & forensic medicine Forensic entomology QH540-549.5 Ecology biology Ants in carcass fungi food and beverages Vertebrate decomposition rate biology.organism_classification Solenopsis saevissima Domestic pig QL1-991 Direct exposure Insect Science QH1-278.5 Natural history (General) Zoology |
| Zdroj: | Sociobiology, Vol 64, Iss 3 (2017) |
| ISSN: | 2447-8067 0361-6525 |
| DOI: | 10.13102/sociobiology.v64i3.1266 |
| Popis: | Ants are among the insects involved in cadaveric decomposition processes, as they exhibit predatory and necrophagous behavior. Red ants exhibit an aggressive behavior, which impacts carcass colonization, accelerates or delays the decomposition rates and potentially confounds interpretation of the post-mortem interval. Here, we estimated the effects of Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) activity on the decomposition rate in domestic pig carcasses. We placed two pig carcasses close to S. saevissima nests, and two other pig carcasses (controls) in other locations 50 m away from the nest. Decomposition processes were delayed by at least three days for carcasses on the nest compared to those without direct exposure to ants. Our results showed that predatory activity of S. saevissima interfered with carcass colonization by scavenger insects, functioning as an ecological barrier to the establishment of immature Diptera. Such results highlight the importance of considering ecological processes that may interfere with mechanisms determining post-mortem intervals. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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