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Decomposition and Insect Succession DECOMPOSITION AND INSECT SUCCESSION PATTERN ON MONKEY CARCASSES PLACED INDOOR AND OUTDOOR WITH NOTES ON THE LIFE TABLE OF Chrysomya rufifacies (DIPTERA: CALLIPHORIDAE) SUNDHARAVALLI RAMAYAH UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA 2014 DECOMPOSITION AND INSECT SUCCESSION PATTERN ON MONKEY CARCASSES PLACED INDOOR AND OUTDOOR WITH NOTES ON THE LIFE TABLE OF Chrysomya rufifacies (DIPTERA: CALLIPHORIDAE) by SUNDHARAVALLI RAMAYAH Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science August 2014 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly I would like to thank my main supervisor Dr. Hamdan Ahmad and co supervisor Prof. Zairi Jaal who I am indebted to in the preparation of this thesis. Their guidance and advice, as well as the academic experience have been invaluable to me. The help of the laboratory staff of the School of Biological Sciences, notably En.Adanan (VCRU Senior Research Officer), En. Nasir, En.Nizam, En.Rohaizat, En.Azlan and En.Johari, both in the field and laboratory, were extremely invaluable and greatly appreciated. My deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks to Prof. Dr. Hsin Chi, Professor of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Dr. Kumara Thevan, Senior Lecturer, of Agro Industry, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and Dr. Bong Lee Jin for their constant guidance and advice. I would also like to thank the Malaysian Meteorological Services for generously providing the meteorological data for the duration of the study period. I am also grateful to the Wildlife Department of Malaysia who provided the monkey carcasses for the present study. Thank you very much to my friends and lab mates; Ong Song Quan, Beh Hsia Ng, Tan Eng Hua and Siti Aisyah Rahimah for always providing support and idea throughout my research. Most of all, I would like to express my greatest appreciation and gratitude to my parents Ramayah Muniandy and Krishnan Santhanam @ Santhi for their encouragement, love and absolute confidence in me. They are my source of inspiration. Not forgetting my brothers and sisters, particularly Kamaleswari for her continuous moral and material support. Last, but not least, I would like to gratefully thanks to HIS DIVINE GRACE for HIS unlimited blessings. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii LIST OF PLATES viii LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF FIGURES x ABSTRAK xiii ABSTRACT xv CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION 1.1 General introduction 1 1.2 Objectives of the research study 5 CHAPTER 2 : LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Insect succession as a valuable post mortem interval indicator 6 2.2 Decomposition process of vertebrate carrion 8 2.3 Insect succession in carrion 13 2.4 Flies (Diptera) of forensic importance in Malaysia 15 2.4.1 Family Calliphoridae 15 2.4.2 Family Sarcophagidae 20 2.4.3 Family Muscidae 21 2.4.4 Family Fannidae 24 2.4.5 Family Piophilidae 24 2.4.6 Family Sepsidae 26 2.4.7 Family Sphaeroceridae 27 2.4.8 Family Phoridae 28 iii 2.4.9 Family Stratiomyidae 29 2.5 Beetles (Coleoptera) of forensic importance in Malaysia 30 2.5.1 Family Silphidae 30 2.5.2 Family Dermestidae 32 2.5.3 Family Staphylinidae 33 2.5.4 Family Histeridae 34 2.5.5 Family Cleridae 35 2.5.6 Family Scarabaeidae 36 2.6 Other arthropods with minor forensic importance 37 2.7 Life table analysis of forensically important insects 40 CHAPTER 3 : DECOMPOSITION AND INSECT SUCCESSION PATTERN ON MONKEY CARCASSES PLACED INDOOR AND OUTDOOR 3.1 Introduction 43 3.2 Materials and methods 45 3.2.1 Study site and study duration 45 3.2.2 Environmental conditions and carcass placement 47 3.2.3 Animal carcass model 51 3.2.4 Data collection and carcass observation 51 3.2.5 The invertebrate sampling techniques 55 3.2.5(a) Pup tent fly trap 57 3.2.5(b) Pitfall trap 59 3.2.6 Rearing techniques in the laboratory 62 3.2.7 Arthropod identification 64 3.2.8 Mounting process and slide preparation to determine the larval 64 stage iv 3.2.9 Statistical analysis 66 3.3 Results 67 3.3.1 Climatic conditions at the study site 67 3.3.1(a)Ambient temperature, relative humidity and rainfall 67 3.3.1(b)Comparison of the ambient temperature and relative 73 humidity between the outdoor and indoor condition 3.3.1(c)Light intensity 74 3.3.3 Stages of decomposition 76 3.3.2(a)Fresh 76 3.3.2(b)Bloated 78 3.3.2(c)Active decay 80 3.3.2(d)Advance decay 82 3.3.2(e)Dry skeletal remain/Mummified remain 84 3.3.4 Process of decomposition 86 3.3.3(a) Onset of decomposition stages of the outdoor 86 carcasses 3.3.3(b) Onset of decomposition stages of the indoor 92 carcasses 3.3.3(c) Comparison between the outdoor and indoor 98 decomposition patterns 3.3.4 Dipteran successional pattern 100 3.3.4(a) Presence of eggs deposited by adult Dipteran 100 3.3.4(b) Presence of adult and immature Dipteran 100 3.3.4(c) Successional pattern of immature dipterans on the 101 outdoor carcasses 3.3.4(d) Successional pattern of immature dipterans on the 108 indoor carcasses 3.3.4(e) The abundance of the dipteran larvae in the outdoor 112 and indoor condition during different decomposition stages v 3.3.4(f) Comparison of the immature dipteran successional 115 pattern and their abundance between the outdoor and indoor condition 3.3.4(g) Successional pattern and abundance of adult 116 dipterans in the outdoor carcasses 3.3.4(h) Successional pattern and abundance of adult 124 dipterans in the indoor carcasses 3.3.4(i) The abundance of the dipteran adults on carcasses 133 in different stages of decomposition in outdoor and indoor condition 3.3.4(j) Comparison of the adult dipteran successional 135 pattern and abundance between the outdoor and indoor conditions 3.3.5 Other arthropods successional pattern 136 3.3.5(a) Successional pattern of other arthropods in outdoor 137 carcasses 3.3.5(b) Successional pattern of other arthropods in indoor 142 carcasses 3.3.6 Composition of dipteran families 147 3.4 Discussions 154 3.4.1 Climatic conditions at the study site 154 3.4.2 Decomposition process 157 3.4.3 Dipteran successional pattern 167 3.4.4 Other arthropods successional pattern 176 3.4.5 Composition of dipteran families 179 CHAPTER 4 : NOTES ON THE LIFE TABLE OF Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) 4.1 Introduction 181 4.2 Materials and methods 182 4.2.1 Rearing of the insect colony 182 vi 4.2.2 Life table analysis 185 4.2.3 Statistical analysis 188 4.3 Results 190 4.4 Discussions 197 CHAPTER 5 : GENERAL CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE 201 RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 General conclusions 201 5.2 Future recommendations 202 REFERENCE 203 APPENDICES 223 Appendix A: Identification of the Dipteran larvae 223 Appendix B: Statistical analysis 236 vii LIST OF PLATES PAGE Plate 3.1 The study site in the Durian Valley, also known as 46 Bird valley Plate 3.2 The indoor conditions 48 Plate 3.3 The outdoor conditions 48 Plate 3.4 The apparatus used in the field (a) data logger 54 (b)psychrometer (c) light meter (d) thermometer (e)portable scale Plate 3.5 Apparatus used in the field (a) forcep (b) scoop (c) 56 wetted paint brush (d) sweep net Plate 3.6 The pup tent fly trap 58 Plate 3.7 The pitfall trap (a) outer lining, (b) inner container 60 and (c) top funnel Plate 3.8 The arrangement of the pitfall traps at the indoor 61 condition Plate 3.9 The arrangement of the pitfall traps at the outdoor 61 condition Plate 3.10 Rearing apparatus used in the laboratory (a) cage 63 and (b) plastic container Plate 3.11 Fresh stage of the outdoor carcass 77 Plate 3.12 Fresh stage of the indoor carcass 77 Plate 3.13 Bloated stage of the outdoor carcass 79 Plate 3.14 Bloated stage of the indoor carcass 79 Plate 3.15 Active decay stage of the outdoor carcass 81 Plate 3.16 Active decay stage of the indoor carcass 81 Plate 3.17 Advance decay stage of the outdoor carcass 83 Plate 3.18 Advance decay stage of the indoor carcass 83 Plate 3.19 Dry skeletal remain stage of the outdoor carcass 85 Plate 3.20 Mummified remain stage of the indoor carcass 85 Plate 4. 1 Apparatus used in the laboratory (a) cage and 183 (b)plastic container viii LIST OF TABLES PAGE Table 3.1 Analysis of linear regression between the 72 temperature data recorded at the study site and the temperature data obtained from the nearest weather station Table 3.2 Mean differences of ambient temperature (ºC) 73 between conditions Table 3.3 Mean differences of relative humidity (%) between 73 conditions Table 3.4 Mean estimated day for the onset of each stage of 86 decomposition in the outdoor carcasses (n=3) Table 3.5 Mean estimated day for the onset of each stage of 92 decomposition stage in the indoor carcasses (n=3) Table 3.6 Classification of the colonization pattern of the 102 immature and adult Dipteran on the outdoor and indoor carcass Table 3.7 Arthropods other than Dipteran collected in the 136 study site throughout the study periods Table 3.8 Total adult dipterans obtained from the study site 147 (n=18) Table 4.1 The basic statistics of the life history data of 191 Chrysomya rufifacies at 28 ± 2.5ºC and 75 ± 10% R.H Table 4.2 Population parameters of Chrysomya rufifacies at 196 28 ± 2.5 ºC and 75 ± 10% R.H.
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