First report of Histiostoma sp. (astigmata: Histiostomatidae) phoretic on a forensically important blowfly, Chrysomya villeneuvi (diptera: Calliphoridae)

• Published in: Tropical Biomedicine
• Main Author: Azmiera N.; Mariana A.; Heo C.C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malaysian Society for Parasitology 2019
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85077201783&partnerID=40&md5=13a418076d7c28d3d2a2aa5760ccbc4b

This is the first record of phoretic histiostomatid mites found on a forensically important blow fly species, Chrysomya villeneuvi (Diptera: Calliphoridae), collected from decomposing rabbit carcasses placed in Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve, Sungai Buloh and MARDI Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. The blow flies frequenting around the carcasses were first captured using an insect net. After pinning, they were examined under a stereomicroscope and mites phoretic on their body were carefully removed and preserved in 70% ethanol. Mites were cleared in lactic acid before mounting on slides using Hoyer’s medium and identified under a compound microscope. The flies and their mites were identified as C. villeneuvi and deutonymphs of Histiostoma spp. (Astigmata: Histiostomatidae), respectively. This insect-mite association may be useful to provide insights regarding the minimum post-mortem interval and the location of death in forensic entomological investigations. © 2019, Malaysian Society for Parasitology. All rights reserved.