Preliminary observation on the lepidopteran colonization on rat and rabbit carcasses in Malaysia

The immature stages of necrophagous insects such as Diptera and Coleoptera play a vital ecological role in carrion decomposition. These invertebrates reduce the necromass significantly through consumption and recycle nutrients into organic forms which are readily being used by autotrophs or served as an abiotic storage in the soil ecosystem. Fly and beetle larvae are frequently encountered decomposers on ephemeral resource patches; however, lepidopterans associated with carrion decomposition is seldom reported. Here, we report colonization of Monopis sp. (Tineidae) and an unknown species of Psychidae on a rat carcass, and a Lithosiini caterpillar (Arctiidae) on a rabbit carcass in Peninsular Malaysia for the first time. The feeding behaviour and their potential forensic implications are discussed.