Sains Malaysiana 44(5)(2015): 681–686

 

First Report of Macrocheles scutatiformis (Acari: Macrochelidae) Found on Insects and Soil beneath Animal Carcasses in Malaysia

(Laporan Pertama Penemuan Macrocheles scutatiformis (Acari: Macrochelidae) pada Serangga

dan Tanah di Bahagian Bawah Badan Bangkai Haiwan di Malaysia)

AZIMA LAILI HANIFAH¹*, MARIANA AHAMAD1, BAHARUDIN OMAR², AHMAD TAUFIK YUSOFF¹, VISHALANI VISHNU NARAINASAMY¹ & GEN TAKAKU³

 

¹Acarology Unit, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research,

Jalan Pahang, 50588 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

²Biomedical Department, Faculty of Health Science, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

³Biological Laboratory, Hokkaido, University of Education, Sapporo, Japan

 

Received: 5 August 2014/Accepted: 22 January 2015

 

ABSTRACT

In a forensic acarology study, conducted in a secondary forest of Forensic Science Simulation Site, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in Bangi, Selangor, six carcasses consisted of three monkeys and three rabbits were placed individually in steel enclosures and observed for 35 days. The carcasses, the soil beneath them and pitfall traps were checked daily for insects and mites. A species of mesostigmatid mite, Macrocheles scutatiformis was discovered and this is a first time reported in Malaysia. There are about 94.0% of Macrocheles present inside the cages of the monkey and rabbit carcasses. Most mites in this study were collected from soil beneath the carcasses, on a dung beetle and a Chrysomya rufifacies larva. Our findings showed that M. scutatiformis have a potential role in forensic investigation involving dead animals perhaps corpses especially during the dry stage of decomposition.

 

Keywords: First report; insects; Macrocheles scutatiformis; Malaysia

 

ABSTRAK

Dalam kajian forensik akarologi yang dijalankan di hutan tropika sekunder di Tapak Simulasi Sains Forensik, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Bangi, Selangor, sebanyak enam bangkai haiwan terdiri daripada tiga monyet dan tiga arnab diletakkan secara individu di dalam sangkar dawai dan diperhatikan selama 35 hari. Pemeriksaan serangga dan tungau dilakukan setiap hari pada badan bangkai, tanah di bahagian bawah badan bangkai serta perangkap jatuhan. Spesies tungau Mesostigmata iaituMacrocheles scutatiformis ditemui dan dilaporkan buat pertama kalinya di Malaysia. Sebanyak 94.0% Macrocheles ditemui pada sangkar bangkai monyet dan arnab. Kebanyakan tungau ini dikutip pada tanah di bawah badan bangkai, pada kumbang dan juga pada larva Chrysomya rufifacies. Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan bahawaM. scutatiformis berpotensi dalam penyiasatan forensik melibatkan haiwan mati dan mungkin juga mayat manusia terutama ketika pereputan peringkat kering. Secara keseluruhan, hasil daripada kajian ini dapat membantu dalam penentuan selang masa pasca kematian, sekiranya spesies ini ditemui maka dapat disimpulkan bahawa bangkai atau mayat tersebut telah pun mencapai peringkat terakhir pereputan iaitu peringkat kering.

 

Kata kunci: Laporan pertama: Macrocheles scutatiformis; Malaysia; serangga

 

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*Corresponding author; email: azima@imr.gov.my