Differential Diptera succession patterns on decomposed rabbit carcasses in three different habitats

This study describes for the first time the necrophagous Diptera attracted to rabbit carcasses in three distinct habitats in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A mean number of 1,427 flies belonging to 8 families and 16 species were collected during the decomposition process of the rabbits at the three different sites. Carcasses in the agricultural habitat attracted 1,146 flies from 7 families and 14 species, compared to carcasses in the urban site, which attracted 249 flies from 5 families and 9 species. Carcasses in the desert site attracted the lowest number (28 flies from 4 families and 5 species). In the agricultural and desert sites, flies were represented at all decomposition stages. Also, in the urban site, flies were represented at all stages except the fresh and dry stages. Lucilia sericata Meigen was the most abundant species occurring in both the agricultural and desert sites, while Musca domestica L. was the most abundant species occurring in the urban site. The evidence presented here, therefore, suggests that L. sericata and M. domestica are potentially useful species for estimating minimal postmortem intervals in this region of KSA.