RESUMO
Muscidae (Diptera) comprises one of the most important taxa in medical, veterinary and forensic entomology, especially due to their association with decomposing carcasses and cadavers. Yet, knowledge on their distribution and behaviour is still incipient in several biomes, which is the case of dry tropical forests. This study aimed to evaluate the attractiveness of different organic substrates to species of Muscidae in areas of seasonally dry forests (Caatinga) in Northern Brazil. Sampling was carried out in five Caatinga areas between 2015 and 2017, using suspended traps baited with bovine spleen, fish or human faeces. When all samplings were combined, 3,176 adults of nine species were collected. The assemblages of muscids had higher richness and abundances on bovine spleen, which attracted 66% of all specimens, when compared to the other substrates. Musca domestica was the most abundant species, and it was dominant in assemblages associated with spleen and fish. Assemblages attracted to spleen and fish had higher similarity, differing from those associated with faeces. Differences in food attractiveness are presented for species of medical interest as pathogen vectors (e.g., Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp, 1883)) and of forensic relevance as colonizers of human corpses (e.g., Ophyra aenescens (Wiedemann, 1830).
Assuntos
Animais , Distribuição Animal , Florestas , Muscidae/classificação , Substratos para Tratamento Biológico , BrasilRESUMO
Muscidae (Diptera) comprises one of the most important taxa in medical, veterinary and forensic entomology, especially due to their association with decomposing carcasses and cadavers. Yet, knowledge on their distribution and behaviour is still incipient in several biomes, which is the case of dry tropical forests. This study aimed to evaluate the attractiveness of different organic substrates to species of Muscidae in areas of seasonally dry forests (Caatinga) in Northern Brazil. Sampling was carried out in five Caatinga areas between 2015 and 2017, using suspended traps baited with bovine spleen, fish or human faeces. When all samplings were combined, 3,176 adults of nine species were collected. The assemblages of muscids had higher richness and abundances on bovine spleen, which attracted 66% of all specimens, when compared to the other substrates. Musca domestica was the most abundant species, and it was dominant in assemblages associated with spleen and fish. Assemblages attracted to spleen and fish had higher similarity, differing from those associated with faeces. Differences in food attractiveness are presented for species of medical interest as pathogen vectors (e.g., Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp, 1883)) and of forensic relevance as colonizers of human corpses (e.g., Ophyra aenescens (Wiedemann, 1830).(AU)
Assuntos
Animais , Muscidae/classificação , Distribuição Animal , Substratos para Tratamento Biológico , Florestas , BrasilRESUMO
El número de larvas de Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Diptera: Muscidae) encontradas in cadáveres fue evaluada como un criterio para la estimación del intervalo post-mortem (IPM) en un modelo con carcasas de conejo. Conejos (New Zaeland) fueron sometidos a eutanasia por dislocación cervical en los meses de abril, julio, octubre de 2002 y enero de 2003, tres animales por ciclo de observación. Los cadáveres fueron expuestos en un ambiente selvático y a partir de cada uno de ellos fueron colectadas muestras de larvas de muscoideos tres veces a la semana durante 80 días. Las larvas de S. nudiseta, presentes en la muestra, fueron identificadas y contadas a lo largo del período de observación. La presencia de larvas fue evidente en todos los ciclos. Aunque la observación de las carcasas comenzó en el segundo día post exposición (DPE), en la mayoría de los ciclos, la colecta de larvas de S. nudiseta tuvo su inicio entre el 7º y 11º DPE y finalizó aproximadamente en el 30º DPE. El Ciclo I (Abril-Junio) constituyó una excepción ya que la colecta se inició tardíamente (18º DPE) y terminó al final del período de observación. Las observaciones sugieren que S. nudiseta es una especie importante en la colonización de cadáveres en La Región Neotropical. Aunque la gran variabilidad en el número de larvas colectadas hace la interpretación cuantitativa poco práctica, los hallazgos relativos a esta especie en en el contexto de una investigación forense podrían apoyar la estimación del IPM determinado por algún otro criterio.
The number of larvae of Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Diptera: Muscidae) found in corpses was evaluated as a criterion for the estimation of the post-mortem interval (PMI) in a model with rabbit carcasses. New Zaeland rabbits (3,8 kg) were euthanasied during April, July and October of 2002, and January of 2003, three animals per cycle of observation. The corpses were exposed in a forested environment and samples of muscoid larvae were collected three times a week from each corpse during 80 days. Larvae of S. nudiseta were identified and counted during the observation period. The presence of S. nudiseta maggots was evident in all the observation cycles. Although the number of collected larvae was greater during the first days of their appearance on the body, there was great variability between each carcass. Although observation of the carcasses began on the second day post-exposition (DPE), in most of cycles, the collection of S. nudiseta larvae began between the 7th and 11th DPE and ended at aproximately the 30th DPE. Cycle I (April-June) was an exception, where the recollection of S. nudiseta started later (18th DPE) and lasted until the end of the period. These observations suggest that S. nudiseta is an important species in the colonization of corpses in the Neotropical Region. Although the great variability in number of larvae collected makes the quantitative interpretation unpractical, the finding of this species at a certain time in forensic investigations may support the estimation of the IPM determined by other criteria.