This is the first record of phoretic histiostomatid mites found on a forensically important blow fly species, Chrysomya villeneuvi (Diptera: Calliphoridae), collected from decomposing rabbit carcasses placed in Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve, Sungai Buloh and MARDI Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. The blow flies frequenting around the carcasses were first captured using an insect net. After pinning, they were examined under a stereomicroscope and mites phoretic on their body were carefully removed and preserved in 70% ethanol. Mites were cleared in lactic acid before mounting on slides using Hoyer’s medium and identified under a compound microscope. The flies and their mites were identified as C. villeneuvi and deutonymphs of Histiostoma spp. (Astigmata: Histiostomatidae), respectively. This insectmite association may be useful to provide insights regarding the minimum post-mortem interval and the location of death in forensic entomological investigations.

This paper is the first record of cigarette beetles collected from dried fish crackers (also known as “keropok ikan” in Malay) in Malaysia. The dead cigarette beetles were firstly isolated from a packet of dried fish crackers and were subsequently kept in 70% ethanol. The beetles were then identified as Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius 1792) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae). They are common pests of stored products such as tobacco, flour, and cocoa beans but there is no record of this beetle infestation on dried fish crackers in Malaysia.

This is the first documentation of parasitic mite, Leptus sp., found on a necrophagous blowfly, Chrysomya villeneuvi collected from a decomposing wild boar carcass placed in Taman Negara (National Park), Kuala Keniam, Pahang, Malaysia. Blowflies around the carcass were captured using an insect net before being examined under a stereomicroscope. Upon microscopic observation, we found a mite attached on the scutellum of C. villeneuvi adult. The mite was carefully removed and preserved in 70% ethanol subsequently. Then, the mite was cleared in lactophenol before being mounted in Hoyer’s medium. The morphological identification of the mite was conducted and Leptus sp. was identified. The species belongs to the phalangii species group and the aldonae species subgroup. This study highlights the new association of Leptus sp. and C. villeneuvi for the first time.