The decomposition of rabbit carcasses and associated necrophagous Diptera in Kuwait

Received 8 April 2011; received in revised form 25 July 2011; accepted 21 September 2011. published online 24 October 2011.

Abstract

Rabbit carcasses were used to compare rates of decomposition and associated assemblages of Diptera at four discernable habitat types in Kuwait; a country of a region with a paucity of such reference data. Carcasses in an urban habitat showed faster decomposition (as measured by percentage weight loss) than in agricultural, coastal or desert habitats, even with accumulated degree days (ADD) as the explanatory variable (t=2.73, df=34, p=0.010) to compensate for temperature differences. Taxa of Diptera at the four habitats became more similar as decomposition progressed, suggesting such differences between habitats were not marked. The occurrence of Chrysomyia megacephala and Lucilia sericata had not previously been recorded in Kuwait.

Keywords: Forensic entomology, Necrophagous, Diptera, Kuwait, Decomposition, Rabbit Carcass

http://www.fsijournal.org/article/S0379-0738(11)00468-3/abstract?elsca1=etoc&elsca2=email&elsca3=0379-0738_20120410_217_1-3&elsca4=pathology