A Checklist of Forensically Important Flies (Insecta: Diptera) Associated with Decomposition of Rabbit Carcasses at Coastal Area in Mukah, Sarawak

Mohd. Allif Najmi, Musa (2022) A Checklist of Forensically Important Flies (Insecta: Diptera) Associated with Decomposition of Rabbit Carcasses at Coastal Area in Mukah, Sarawak. [Final Year Project Report] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Sarco-saprophagous insect plays an important role in the degradation of organic materials. Moreover, the biological, ecological, and behavioural specificities of the taxa are important in the reconstruction of the decay history of a corpse or carcass, often back to the lethal event. This research discusses the succession of forensic important flies on a rabbit carcass exposed to the coastal area environment in Mukah, Sarawak. This study aims to determine forensic important flies and environmental factors that influence the decomposition stage of rabbit carcasses at the coastal area in Mukah, Sarawak. The primary fly invaders were Chrysomya defixa (Walker, 1857), Ch. megacephala (Fabricius, 1794), Ch. rufifacies (Macquart, 1843), Hemipyrellia ligurriens (Wiedemann, 1830), Musca domestica (Linnaeus, 1758), Synthesiomya nudiseta (van der Wulp, 1883), and Parasarcophaga dux (Thomson, 1869). This research also examined the environmental parameters that affect the dipteran succession and decomposition process. Sunlight intensities are shown to be directly proportional to the environmental temperature. Meanwhile, environmental temperature is shown to be inversely proportional to the relative humidity of environment. Based on observation, direct exposure to the sunlight causing Calliphorids which are heliotropic to be dominant to invade the carcass. High temperatures causing the degradation of the carcass to be speed up. However, windy condition in the coastal area resulting to fast dehydration of body liquefaction. Therefore, the carcasses were mummified before all the body tissues could perfectly decomposed. The data on dipteran composition and environmental effects on decomposition would be useful for further medico-legal cases in Mukah, Sarawak. This is among the few studies of flies as forensically significant species in Sarawak.

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