First record of Poecilochirus necrophori (Acari: Mesostigmata: Parasitidae) from Turkey and its importance in forensic acarology

Abstract

Poecilochirus necrophori Vitzthum is a Palearctic distributed species, which deutonymphs are phoretic on some burying beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae). The mites use adult beetles for transport to carcasses where the deutonymphs moult into adults and both mites and beetles feed and reproduce. A life cycle of Poecilochirus species is synchronized with their phoronts and they can be used in a forensic acarology as indicators of post mortem interval. We present the first record of P. necrophori from Turkey. Phoretic deutonymphs of P. necrophori were found on the beetle Nicrophorus vespillo (L.) (Coleoptera: Silphidae) in Sakarya province. The deutonymphs were also found on carcasses of marten (Marten sp.) and mole (Talpa sp.) from Sakarya, Turkey. Moreover, a significance of Poecilochirus species in forensic acarology is briefly discussed.