Life post-death: Colonization of a bat carcass by Microcerella halli (Engel, 1931) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) in a Neotropical cave

Authors

  • Simão Dias Vasconcelos Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Insetos de Importância Forense. Recife, PE, Brasil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8722-0836
  • Eder Barbier Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Ciências Aplicadas à Conservação da Biodiversidade. Recife, PE, Brasil. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5068-7048
  • Taciano Moura Barbosa Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Laboratório de Insetos e Vetores. Natal, RN, Brasil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5495-258X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2022.62.065

Keywords:

Microcerella, Mormoopid bats, Post-mortem interval, Flesh flies

Abstract

Caves are habitats characterized by low light or total darkness, whose fauna is largely composed of animals that adapt to dark environments, such as bats and many arthropods. Here, we present the first record of bat carcass colonization by Diptera larvae in a cave in the Neotropics. Twenty-one adult specimens of Microcerella halli (Sarcophagidae), seven males and 14 females, emerged from larvae collected in a carcass of Pteronotus gymnonotus (Mormoopidae) found in a twilight zone, about 15 m from the cave entrance. The mean time between carcass collection and adult emergence was 17.99 ± 0.44 days. As colonization by M. halli only occurs after death, we estimated the mean duration of the pupal stage – by recording daily pupation and emergence data – and attempted a preliminary estimate of the post-mortem interval, which indicated that larviposition occurred at least 24 h before carcass collection. Furthermore, we discussed the fact that M. halli females can find and colonize carcasses in low light environments, reinforcing the forensic potential of the species.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

  • Taciano Moura Barbosa, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Laboratório de Insetos e Vetores. Natal, RN, Brasil.

    Atualmente está vinculado no Departamento de Zoologia da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, onde atua em pesquisas em ecologia de dípteros necrófagos.

References

Barbier, E.; Hintze, F.; Jardelino, A.C. & Bernard, E. 2018. First record of the bat ectoparasitic fly Strebla proxima Wenzel, 1976 (Diptera: Streblidae) from Brazil. Entomological News, 127(4): 369-374. https://doi.org/10.3157/021.127.0409.

Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Cavernas (CECAV). 2022. Cadastro Nacional de Informações Espeleológicas – CANIE. https://www.icmbio.gov.br/cecav/canie.html. Access: 25/02/2022.

Culver, D.C. & Pipan, T. 2009. The biology of caves and other subterranean habitats. New York, Oxford University Press.

Faucherre, J.; Cherix, D. & Wyss, C. 1999. Behavior of Calliphora vicina (Diptera, Calliphoridae) under extreme conditions. Journal of Insect Behavior, 12(5): 687-690. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020931804597.

Ferreira, R.L. & Martins, R.P. 1999. Trophic structure and natural history of bat guano invertebrate communities, with special reference to Brazilian caves. Tropical Zoology, 12(2): 231-252. https://doi.org/10.1080/03946975.1999.10539391.

Gnaspini, P. & Trajano, E. 2000. Guano communities in tropical caves. p. 251-268. In: Wilkins, H.; Culver, D.C. & Humphreys, W.F. (Eds.). Subterranean ecosystems. Amsterdam, Elsevier Press.

Greenberg, B. 1990. Nocturnal oviposition behavior of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Journal of Medical Entomology, 27(5): 807-810. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmedent/27.5.807.

Heo, C.C.; Teel, P.D.; Banfield, M.M. & Tomberlin, J.K. 2019. Soil arthropod community responses to carrion with delayed insect access. Food Webs, 20: e00118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2019.e00118.

Howarth, F.G. & Moldovan, O.T. 2018. The ecological classification of cave animals and their adaptations. In: Moldovan, O.; Kováč, Ľ. & Halse, S. (Eds.). Cave ecology: ecological studies (analysis and synthesis). Cham, Springer. p. 41-67. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98852-8_4.

Leal, E.B.S. & Bernard, E. 2021. Morcegos cavernícolas do carste arenítico do Parque Nacional do Catimbau, Nordeste do Brasil. Mastozoología Neotropical, 28: e0608. https://doi.org/10.31687/saremMN.21.28.2.0.08.e0608.

Madeira-Ott, T.; Souza, C.M.; Bunde, P.R.S.; Ries, A.C.R.; Blochtein, B. & Thyssen, P.J. 2022. Forensically relevant flesh flies (Diptera, Sarcophagidae, Sarcophaginae) of Southern Brazil. Journal of Medical Entomology, 59(2): 488-507. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjab210.

Mammola, S.; Cardoso, P.; Culver, D.C.; Deharveng, L.; Ferreira, R.L.; Fišer, C.; Galassi, D.M.P.; Griebler, C.; Halse, S.; Humphreys, W.F.; Isaia, M.; Malard, F.; Martinez, A.; Moldovan, O.T.; Niemiller, M.L.; Pavlek, M.; Reboleira, A.S.P.S.; Souza-Silva, M.; Teeling, E.C.; Wynne, J.J. & Zagmajster, M. 2019. Scientists’ warning on the conservation of subterranean ecosystems. BioScience, 69(8): 641-650. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz064.

Moretti, T.C.; Allegretti, S.M.; Mello-Patiu, C.A.; Tognolo, A.M.; Ribeiro, O.B. & Solis, D.S. 2009. Occurrence of Microcerella halli (Engel) (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) in snake carrion in southeastern Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, 53(2): 318-320. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0085-56262009000200018.

Mulieri, P.R.; Mariluis, J.C.; Patitucci, L.D. & Olea, M.S. 2015. The Sarcophaginae (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Southern South America. I. The species of Microcerella Macquart from the Patagonian Region. Zootaxa, 3933: 1-88. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3933.1.1.

Nassu, M.P.; Thyssen, P.J. & Linhares, A.X. 2014. Developmental rate of immatures of two fly species of forensic importance: Sarcophaga (Liopygia) ruficornis and Microcerella halli (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). Parasitology Research, 113: 217-222. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3646-2.

Pape, T. 1996. Catalogue of the Sarcophagidae of the world (Insecta: Diptera). Memoirs on Entomology International 8: 1-558.

Pavan, A.C. 2019. Family Mormoopidae (ghost-faced bats, naked-backed bats and mustached bats). In: Wilson, D.E. & Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Handbook of the Mammals of the World, Vol. 9. Bats. Barcelona,Lynx Edicions.

Pavan, A.C. & Tavares, V.C. 2020. Pteronotus gymnonotus (Chiroptera: Mormoopidae). Mammalian Species, 42: 40-48. https://doi.org/10.1093/mspecies/seaa003.

Prous, X.; Ferreira, R.L. & Martins, R.P. 2004. Ecotone delimitation: epigean-hypogean transition in cave ecosystems. Austral Ecology, 29(4): 374-382. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2004.01373.x.

Reeves, W.K. & McCreadie, J.W. 2001. Population ecology of cavernicoles associated with carrion in caves of Georgia, USA. Journal of Entomological Science, 36(3): 305-311. https://doi.org/10.18474/0749-8004-36.3.305.

Ripperger, S.P.; Stockmaier, S. & Carter, G.G. 2020. Tracking sickness effects on social encounters via continuous proximity sensing in wild vampire bats. Behavioral Ecology, 31(6): 1296-1302. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/araa111.

Rydell, J.; Bogdanowicz, W.; Boonmanc, A.; Petterssond, S.; Suchecka, E. & Pomorski, J.J. 2016. Bats may eat diurnal flies that rest on wind turbines. Mammalian Biology, 81(3): 331-339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2016.01.005.

Schneider, K.; Christman, M.C. & Fagan, W.F. 2011. The influence of resource subsidies on cave invertebrates: results from an ecosystem-level manipulation experiment. Ecology, 92(3): 765-776. https://doi.org/10.1890/10-0157.1.

Souza-Silva, M. & Ferreira, R.L. 2014. Loxosceles spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae) preying on invertebrates in Brazilian caves. Speleobiology Notes, 6: 27-32. https://doi.org/10.5563/spbn.v6i0.46.

Terrell-Nield, C. & MacDonald, J. 1997. The effects of decomposing animal remains on cave invertebrate communities. Cave and Karst Science, 2: 53-67.

Vairo, K.P.; Caneparo, M.F.C.; Corrêa, R.C.; Preti, D. & Moura, M.O. 2017. Can Sarcophagidae (Diptera) be the most important entomological evidence at a death scene? Microcerella halli as a forensic indicator. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, 61(4): 275-276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbe.2017.06.004.

Vairo, K.P.; Mello-Patiu, C.A. & Carvalho, C.J.B. 2011. Pictorial identification key for species of Sarcophagidae (Diptera) of potential forensic importance in southern Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, 55(3): 333-34. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0085-56262011005000033.

Vairo, K.P.; Moura, M.O & Mello-Patiu, C.A. 2015. Comparative morphology and identification key for females of nine Sarcophagidae species (Diptera) with forensic importance in Southern Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, 59(3): 177-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbe.2015.06.003.

Downloads

Published

2022-11-01

Issue

Vol. 62 (2022)

Section

Original Article

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Responsibility: The scientific content and the opinions expressed in the manuscript are the sole responsibility of the author(s).

Copyrights: Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia. The journal is licensed under a Creative Commons attribution-type CC-BY.

How to Cite

Vasconcelos, S. D., Barbier, E., & Barbosa, T. M. (2022). Life post-death: Colonization of a bat carcass by Microcerella halli (Engel, 1931) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) in a Neotropical cave. Papéis Avulsos De Zoologia, 62, e202262065. https://doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2022.62.065

Funding data