Arthropods Associated with Mammalian Carcasses in Rivers State, Nigeria.

A total of 281 insects in four families of 2 orders: Diptera (Muscidae, Syrphidae, Calliphoridae) and Hymenoptera (Adidae), and 2 ixodids were collected from the mona monkey, Cercipithecus mona. The major species was the house fly, Musca domestica (72%). The entomofauna from the Giant cane Rat, Thyronomys swinderianus carcass, totalled 257 in 3 families of 2 orders: Diptera (Muscidae, Syrphidae) and Hymenoptera (Formicidae). The dominant species was M. domestica (76%). The highest insect population was 414, recorded from the carcass of the Forest Genet, Genetta poensis; it consisted of 5 families in 3 orders: Diptera (Muscidae, Bombyliidae, Syrphidae), Coleoptera (Cleridae) and Hemiptera (Reduviidae). The order Diptera was dominant on all carcasses and the most prominent dipteran M. domestica was collected continuously, while the appearance of the other species was sporadic. Complete decomposition period was shortest (11 days) in the Giant cane Rat and longest (44 days) in the forest genet; the period in the mona monkey was 14 days. Successional occurrence of these arthropods was not discernible. These results are compared to those from other studies.