Beetles (Coleoptera) Associated with Animal Carcasses in Portugal: Data Collected Since 1995 and a Survey of Earlier Publications
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Boletín Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa, nº 44 (2009) : 481–491. BEETLES (COLEOPTERA) ASSOCIATED WITH ANIMAL CARCASSES IN PORTUGAL: DATA COLLECTED SINCE 1995 AND A SURVEY OF EARLIER PUBLICATIONS José Manuel Grosso-Silva & Patrícia Soares-Vieira CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal. – [email protected]. Abstract: A study of the beetles (Coleoptera) associated with animal carcasses in Portugal is presented, including data col- lected since 1995 and a survey of earlier publications on the subject. Thirty-five beetle species, belonging to eight families, are listed, twenty-eight of which were collected since 1995. The composition of individual carcass communities, the communities colonising carcasses of each vertebrate species, the range of vertebrate associations of each beetle species and the recorded post-mortem intervals of occurrence are analysed. Key words: Coleoptera, animal carcasses, composition of carcass communities, association of beetle species to carcass spe- cies. Escarabajos (Coleoptera) asociados a cadáveres de animales en Portugal: datos recogidos desde 1995 y recopilación de registros de publicaciones anteriores Resumen: Se presenta un estudio de los escarabajos (Coleoptera) asociados a cadáveres de animales en Portugal, inclu- yendo datos recogidos desde 1995 y una compilación de los registros contenidos en publicaciones anteriores. Se listan treinta y cinco especies, de ocho familias, veinte y ocho de las cuales se colectaron desde 1995. Se analizan la composición de las comunidades de cadáveres individuales y de los de cada especie de vertebrado, el rango de asociación a vertebrados de cada especie de escarabajos e los intervalos post-mortem de ocurrencia. Palabras clave: Coleoptera, cadáveres de animales, composición de las comunidades de cadáveres, asociación de escaraba- jos a cadáveres de vertebrados. Introduction Animal carcasses are temporary microhabitats inhabited by dead Montpellier Snake. In total, these seven papers record very rich and diverse invertebrate communities which fulfil the presence of 12 beetle species from the carcasses of one a fundamental ecological role: the removal of animal dead reptile species, one bird species and two mammal species, bodies or their parts from the ecosystems (Goff, 2000; as well as from unspecified reptiles and decomposing ani- Schowalter, 2006). The majority of the invertebrates that mal matter. colonise carcasses are arthropods and among these, the In this paper we present the data that derives from the insect orders Diptera and Coleoptera are the dominant ones examination of 34 mammal, bird, and reptile carcasses (Benecke, 2001; Kočárek, 2003). found in continental Portugal since 1995, with the purpose Despite the usefulness of carrion inhabiting Coleop- of increasing the available information about the beetle tera in forensic issues, namely aiding in the determination of species present, their distribution, seasonality, and the ver- post-mortem intervals in forensic cases (Varatharajan & tebrate species whose corpses they inhabit. Part of the data Sen, 2000; Kulshrestha & Satpathy, 2001), the knowledge here analysed was already included in some previous about the beetle fauna associated with animal carcasses is faunistic studies (e.g., Grosso-Silva & Serrano, 2000; Prieto very limited in Portugal, even in general entomological et al., 2002; Soares-Vieira & Grosso-Silva, 2003; Grosso- faunistic studies. In fact, in the literature survey conducted, Silva, 2005, 2007) and the information presented comple- apart from the five recent papers commented further below ments (as some of the papers did not include any informa- (which include data collected since 1995), only seven con- tion on the carcasses) and summarises what was previously tributions containing information were found: Barros recorded. The data contained in the literature has been com- (1896), one species of Silphidae recorded from a dead Jay, piled and is analysed together with that collected since 1995 Garrulus glandarius, and one species of Histeridae from in order to allow a synthesis of the available knowledge on unspecified Reptile carcasses; Barros (1913), one species of the subject. Nitidulidae from unspecified carcasses; Barros (1926), one species of Dermestidae from decomposing animal matter; Methods Seabra (1932-33), four beetle species from a dead Montpel- lier Snake, Malpolon monspessulanus; Salgado Costas The present study derives from the analysis of specimens (1990), two species of Histeridae from dead Dogs, Canis collected in the 34 carcasses examined since 1995 – 27 familiaris, three from dead Cats, Felis catus, and several mammals (nine species, two of which unidentified), three other species from unspecified carcasses; Aguiar & Serrano birds (three species, one of which unidentified), and four (1995), nearly 20 beetle species from unspecified decom- reptiles (three species). The carcasses were found in a total posing animal matter, explicitly excluding dung; and of 27 sites (listed in Table I), located in areas ranging from Kanaar & Salgado (1990), two species of Histeridae from a urban to countryside and altitudes from 10 to 1620 m above 481 sea level. Twenty of the dead animals (13 of which Cats) species from a single Cat carcass in Sweden, and Wielink were roadkill found on or in the close vicinity of roads. In (2004), who found 33 species in two carcasses (Red Fox, most cases, the insect colonisers in the carcasses were sam- Vulpes vulpes, and Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus) in The pled only once. Furthermore, a literature survey was con- Netherlands. ducted, the resulting information being analysed with the Histeridae. The hister beetles that occur in carcasses are dataset from the specimens collected. Literature records necrophilous, their presence in the carcass microhabitat from animal carcasses with no further taxonomic detail being related to the predatory habits of both their larvae and (Barros, 1913, 1926; Aguiar & Serrano, 1995) were not adults, who feed mostly on eggs, larvae and pupae of Dip- considered. tera (Yélamos, 2002). In Portugal, with the exception of Regarding the carcasses examined, the post-mortem Margarinotus brunneus (Fabricius, 1775), recorded by interval was only known in five cases. In four of these, the Barros (1896) from unspecified reptile carcasses and not animals were located very shortly after they were killed by reported from carcasses since then, all species recorded are cars and transported to the side of the road (an Ocellated in the genus Saprinus Erichson, 1834 (12 species in total). Lizard, Lacerta lepida), to a backyard located less than one The majority of these have been found on the carcasses of a kilometre away, in the city of Porto (two Cats), and to a single vertebrate species (in most cases, Cat), the only ex- nearby shaded spot (a Dog). The fifth carcass, a Cat also ception being S. semistriatus (Scriba, 1790), which was located very shortly after death by collision with a car, was found in carcasses of three species of mammals (Table IV). processed in a different manner: it was kept frozen until it The diversity of necrophilous species among the Portuguese was transported into the edge of a Pine woodland in a Histeridae (which exceed 100 species) is certainly higher mountain area (Serra da Estrela), where it was suspended than that already known and the range of associations of the from a tree approximately 1.5 m above the ground. recorded species is most likely much wider, representing a The Histeridae recorded were identified by Juan de clear gap in the knowledge about the ecology of carcasses in Ferrer (Cádiz, Spain), the Scarabaeidae and Trogidae by the country. Tristão Branco (Porto, Portugal), and part of the Silphidae by Fernando Prieto (Vigo, Spain) and Javier Valcárcel (A Silphidae. Carrion beetles are one of the better known bee- Coruña, Spain), in the latter case for the preparation of the tle families in terms of carcass association, the larvae and Iberian catalogue of the family (Prieto et al., 2002). adults of many species feeding on the carrion and some- The bulk of the data examined in this study, i.e., the times on the larvae of Diptera (Báguena, 1952; Hastir & list of the carcasses examined since 1995, the respective Gaspar, 2001; Hastir, 2002). In the genus Nicrophorus Fab- sites’ codes (cf. Table I), the data about the beetles found in ricius, 1775 (“Burying beetles”) a complex behaviour oc- each, and the reference of the corresponding faunistic stud- curs that includes bisexual cooperation and parental care ies in which part of the data has already been published (cf. with trophallaxis (Halffter, 1991). The behavioural process Introduction) is presented in Table II, which also includes involves the quick location and colonization, followed by the data retrieved from the seven references obtained in the the relocation, superficial burial and contamination of small survey. The localities recorded in these references are pre- carcasses by the parents’ excrements. After the resulting sented in Table I. microbiologic activity, the parents and larvae eat the liquids The global dataset has been arranged in two ways, and fragments generated in the cavity opened in the carcass allowing its analysis under two complimentary approaches: by the adults (Halffter, 1991). The Iberian fauna of Silphi- carcass communities and association of beetle species to dae comprises 22 species whose presence was confirmed