Volatile organic compounds in variably aged carrion impacted by the presence of the primary colonizer, Cochliomyia macellaria (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Kotzé, Zanthé; Delclós, Pablo J.; Knap, Anthony H.; Wade, Terry L.; Tomberlin, Jeffery K.

doi:10.1007/s00414-020-02478-8

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…This difference is particularly true for donated human cadavers which are often sourced from hospitals and have been treated with numerous antemortem chemicals (Matuszewski et al 2019;Dawson et al 2020). More attractive VOCs may indicate higher nutritional output or digestibility of the carrion due to the microbial communities (Stavert et al 2014;Kotzé et al 2021).…”

Section: Cadaver Type Influence On Species Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

Insect abundance patterns on vertebrate remains reveal carrion resource quality variation

et al. 2022

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Resource quality is a key driver of species abundance and community structure. Carrion is unique among resources due to its high nutritional quality, rapidly changing nature, and the diverse community of organisms it supports. Yet the role resource quality plays in driving variation in abundance patterns of carrion-associated species remains poorly studied. Here we investigate how species abundances change with a measure of resource change, and interpret these findings to determine how species differ in their association with carrion that changes in quality over time. We conducted field succession experiments using pigs and humans over two winters and one summer. We quantified the effect of total body score, an objective measure of resource change, on adult insect abundance using generalised additive models. For each species, phases of increasing abundance likely indicated attraction to a high-quality resource, and length of abundance maxima indicated optimal oviposition and feeding time. Some species such as the beetle Necrobia rufipes had a rapid spike in abundance, suggesting a narrow window of opportunity for carrion resource exploitation, while species like the wasp Nasonia vitripennis had a gradual change in abundance, indicating a wide window of resource exploitation. Different abundance patterns were also observed between species occurring on pigs and humans, suggesting cadaver type is an important aspect of resource quality. Our findings show that species abundances, unlike species occurrences, can reveal additional detail about species exploitation of carrion and provide information about how resource quality may drive competition and variation in insect community succession.

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Section: Cadaver Type Influence On Species Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

Insect abundance patterns on vertebrate remains reveal carrion resource quality variation

et al. 2022

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“…The exclusion of dipteran eggs and larvae will slow the process of decomposition and succession, and sometimes leads to an altered pattern of succession, but succession still proceeds with most of the typical fauna represented (Michaud & Moreau, 2017; Pechal et al, 2014). Because microbial communities also undergo succession as carrion decomposes (Finley et al, 2015), and microbes are sources of cues for carrion insects (Brundage et al, 2017; Kotzé et al, 2021; Trumbo & Dicapua, 2020; Trumbo & Steiger, 2020; von Hoermann et al, 2012), microbial volatiles might be a key link between microsuccession and insect succession (Pechal et al, 2013). Although changing microbially‐derived odour cues are correlated with changes in insect colonisation on carcasses (Cruise et al, 2020; Recinos‐Aguilar et al, 2020), the microbial hypothesis has not been tested by manipulation of volatiles in the field to attract insects representing multiple stages of succession (Barton & Bump, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial volatiles and succession of beetles on small carrion

Trumbo

2022

Ecological Entomology

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Ecological succession is understood in general terms (facilitation, tolerance, inhibition) even though the system‐specific mechanisms often remain elusive. The succession of insects on carrion is an important model because of its applications to ecosystem function and forensic science. It recently has been hypothesized that changing volatile cues produced by microbes drive succession on carrion. The authors investigated how two blends of sulphur volatiles attracted beetles that typically colonise during the fresh or active decay stages of carrion decomposition. Most beetles attracted to a fresh carcass or to a fresh carcass + dimethyl sulphide/methyl thiocyanate (DMS/MeSCN) blend were burying beetles that breed on small carcasses (95% Nicrophorus spp. other than Ni. pustulatus), with more beetles attracted to the chemically‐supplemented traps. Beetles attracted to carcasses in active decay (Ni. pustulatus, silphines, staphylinids) were also attracted to a fresh carcass + dimethyl disulphide/dimethyl trisulphide (DMDS/DMTS) blend, evidence that DMDS and DMTS are important cues for beetles during the middle stages of decomposition. The Fresh + DMDS/DMTS traps, however, were not a perfect mimic of a carcass in active decay. There were seasonal differences in attractiveness that the authors speculate are due to beetles responding to cues from carcasses used for feeding versus breeding. A second experiment demonstrated a synergy between DMDS and DMTS in attracting Ni. pustulatus and Euspilotus assimilis. The results support the hypotheses that changes in microbial communities and their volatiles during decomposition drive the succession of carrion‐frequenting insects and that blends of volatiles are necessary for some species to identify the targeted stage of decomposition.

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“…Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important attractants for necrophagous insects and vertebrate scavengers (Verheggen et al, 2017). During decomposition, animal remains emit a bouquet of VOCs, some of which originate from endogenous and exogenous microbes surrounding the carcass or from the carcass itself (Kotzé et al, 2021). Carrion scent is essentially transmitted by two small aliphatic diamines, putrescine and cadaverine (Eller et al, 2000; Gill‐King, 1997), produced by bacterial decarboxylation of the basic amino acids ornithine and lysine (Hernick & Fierke, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The carrion bouquet consists of a large number of compounds; more than 400 VOCs have been related to buried human remains (Vass et al, 2004). Numerous common compounds associated with vertebrate remains have been identified, including dimethyl monosulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, dimethyl tetrasulfide, ethanethiol, indole and phenol (Kotzé et al, 2021; Verheggen et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many insect traps rely on insect attraction to volatile chemicals called kairomones emitted from host plants, animals and other materials used by insects to locate food sources (Epsky et al, 2008). The attraction and colonisation of vertebrate remains by carrion-associated arthropods is a process mainly controlled by olfaction (Kotzé et al, 2021). Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important attractants for necrophagous insects and vertebrate scavengers (Verheggen et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A novel low‐cost effective trap to capture sarcosaprophagous Diptera alive

Taleb

Djedouani²

2022

Insect Conserv Diversity

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1. Carrion flies are trapped to study their succession pattern and record their diversity or establish laboratory colonies for various purposes. They are typically collected manually, which is not only challenging and time-consuming, but may also result in incomplete or biased inventories. Passive trapping techniques commonly used damage the specimens and make them difficult to identify.2. We describe the construction of a trap to capture sarcosaprophagous Diptera alive.We tested six traps using six rabbit carcasses (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) per trial over 1 year and recorded the diversity and succession of insects. We also established fly colonies of Lucilia sericata (Meigen) adults using captured individuals.3. A total of 27,428 insects (i.e., 8669 specimens in spring, 7969 specimens in summer, 8417 specimens in autumn and 2373 specimens in winter) belonging to 21 families and 43 species were collected over a period of 23, 19, 24 and 30 days in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. The catch consisted mainly of the order Diptera (98.55%), but also Hymenoptera (1.45%). We successfully started a fly colony with 107 individuals in spring and added wild-type adults every season.The colonies were maintained for 1 year, during which the lifespan of the adult flies varied between 5 and 52 days.4. The device is easy to manufacture, low-cost, robust under field conditions, efficient and time-saving. It enables large samples to be collected within a short period of time over the entire trial period without affecting its condition or performance.

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Volatile organic compounds in variably aged carrion impacted by the presence of the primary colonizer, Cochliomyia macellaria (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Cited by 9 publications

References 52 publications

Insect abundance patterns on vertebrate remains reveal carrion resource quality variation

Insect abundance patterns on vertebrate remains reveal carrion resource quality variation

Microbial volatiles and succession of beetles on small carrion

A novel low‐cost effective trap to capture sarcosaprophagous Diptera alive

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