Effect of height to ground level on the insect attraction to exposed rabbit carcasses

Aim : The present study aimed to determine the effect of height from ground on the colonization of carrion insect species. Methodology : Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) carcasses were positioned at two different heights with respect to ground level in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to determine populations of carrion insects at different decomposition stages. Steel cages were used to defiend the carcasses from flesh eating vertebrates without effecting surrounding environmental condition. Ambient temperatures and the patterns of insect succession were monitored at both heights. Results : In total, 14 and 18 different carrion-associated taxa were collected at low and high sites, respectively. The primary and dominant necrophagous colonizer was the muscid dipteran Musca calleva (Walker) at low site and M. domestica (L.) at high site. The dominant beetle species at both sites was Dermestes maculatus (De Geer). The dominant ant species at low site were Cataglyphis holgerseni (Collingwood & Agosti) and Ca. savignyi (Dufour) and Camponotus sericeus (Fabricius) at high site. Interpretation : This research verified that the height of carrion in relation to ground level considerably affected the variety of insect species, particularly flies and beetles.