Thrips (Thysanoptera) attracted to carrion-baited traps in the tropical highlands of Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

Over 1000 species of arthropods have been recorded from cadavers worldwide. While conducting a study on the diversity and abundance of insects associated with pig (Sus scrofa Linnaeus; Mammalia: Suidae) carrion in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, we noticed the presence of thrips (Thysanoptera) in the collecting containers of traps. The thrips collected comprised the following species: Aeolothrips species (Aeolothripidae), Frankliniella brunnea Priesner (Thripidae), Frankliniella fusca (Hinds), Frankliniella trinidadensis Hood, Neohydatothrips portoricensis (Morgan) (Thripidae), Thrips simplex (Morison) (Thripidae), Wegenerithrips admirabilis Johansen (Thripidae), and Stephanothrips bradleyi Hood (Phlaeothripidae). These species were taken in Schoenly traps, a device designed to catch sarcosaprophagous insects. The thrips species reported in the present study have not previously been recovered from decomposing cadavers, and their occurrence suggests an attraction to one or more components of the trap, rather than an incidental presence. Albeit thrips are not considered forensically important, more studies are needed to elucidate their role in carrion ecology.