Field succession study of necrophagous arthropod fauna of rat (Rattus norvegicus Linnaeus, 1769 var wistar) carrion exposed on natural environment at Nsimalen neighborhood, Yaounde-Cameroon

Abstract

This study investigated the succession of necrophagous arthropod fauna on rat (Rattus norvegicus var. Wistar) carrion in a natural environment at Nsimalen, Yaoundé, Cameroon, to contribute to forensic entomology. Four rat carcasses were exposed, and insect activity was monitored from November 2020 to February 2021. The decomposition process was categorized into five stages: fresh, bloated, decay, dry, and skeletonized, lasting 91 days in total. A total of 803 necrophagous arthropods were recorded, dominated by insects, particularly Diptera (97.51%), followed by Coleoptera (1.87%). Lucilia illustris, Chrysomya vanemdeni, and Tricharaea sp. were among the most abundant species. The findings demonstrate the importance of understanding local necrophagous insect fauna in forensic applications, emphasizing the need for further research to expand forensic entomology knowledge in Cameroon.