Preliminary Study of Bacterial Communities Associated with Native Blowflies in a Primary Malaysian Tropical Rainforest

Abstract

Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) fill key ecological niches in carrion decomposition and are widely utilised as indicators in forensic investigations; however, their associations with bacterial communities remain poorly documented in tropical rainforest ecosystems. This preliminary study investigated blowfly diversity and surface-associated bacterial communities in Kuala Keniam, Pahang National Park, Malaysia. Modified minnow traps baited with fish were deployed along a forest transect over six days, yielding 2,276 adult blowflies representing eight calliphorid taxa, predominantly Chrysomya species. Bacterial communities associated with fresh and advanced-decay bait, as well as with adult Chrysomya nigripes and Chrysomya villeneuvi, were characterised using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Distinct microbial succession patterns were observed across decomposition stages. Shewanella algae were prevalent in fresh bait and anaerobic taxa, such as Bacteroides coprosuis, becoming more abundant as decay advanced. Blowfly-associated bacterial communities differed from those of the bait and varied among species, with Providencia rettgeri dominating in Chrysomya nigripes and Klebsiella oxytoca prevalent in Chrysomya villeneuvi. These results highlight the dynamic insect–microbe interactions of carrion decomposition and provide baseline data for understanding blowfly ecology and associated microbiomes in tropical rainforest environments.