Do necrophagous beetles prefer advancedly decomposed carcasses? A comprehensive survey of beetles in Central Brazil Cerrado.

Coleopterans constitute the second largest order of insects of forensic importance, after the dipterans, which scavenger species are fundamental participants in the process of cadaveric decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. This study aims to: (i) investigate whether coleopterans are indeed more attracted to the final stages of decomposition in the Cerrado, as observed in other biomes; (ii) identify which species colonize carcasses; and (iii) compile a list of forensically relevant beetles for the biome. We performed the experiments in two protected areas between June 2017 and January 2019, in months representative of the dry and rainy seasons. We conducted collections of beetles using 72 pig carcasses throughout all stages of decomposition. A total of 3,006 beetles were identified into 66 taxa from 12 families. Beetles were most abundant in the final stages of decomposition, particularly during the skeletonization stage, which accounted for approximately 45% of the collected individuals. Considering the most abundant families, Scarabaeidae showed no preference in attractiveness amongst the stages of decomposition, whilst Staphylinidae, Silphidae, Dermestidae, and Histeridae were more attracted by the two latter stages of the process. Two species, Dermestes maculatus (De Geer, 1774) and Oxelytrum discicolle (Brullé, 1840), were observed colonizing the carcasses. This work is pioneering for the Cerrado, uses a large number of carcasses and therefore contributes to a better understanding of ecological processes in the area by approaching the ecology of decomposition of carcasses and scavenger beetles. A list of the species in the region and their utility to forensic entomology is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]