In addition to the scarcity of forensic entomology baseline data on oviposition of necrophagous insects and completion of their life cycles in the Borneo region, similar data derived from caves remain unreported. Since entomological baseline data can differ from one biogeoclimatic region to another, the lack of such data would limit the practical values of applying entomological evidence in estimating minimum postmortem interval (mPMI). Therefore, this present research that investigated oviposition and completion of life cycles of necrophagous flies infesting rabbit carcasses decomposing in Mount Kapur Cave and its surrounding forest habitat in Kuching, Sarawak merits forensic consideration. In general, 13 taxa of necrophagous flies were identified viz. Hypopygiopsis violacea, Hypopygiopsis fumipennis, Hemipyrellia ligurriens, Hemipyrellia tagaliana, Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya villeneuvi, Chrysomya rufifacies, Chrysomya chani, Chrysomya pinguis, Chrysomya nigripes, Ophyra spinigera and Ophyra chalcogaster, as well as unidentified Sarcophagidae. In addition, Hyp. violacea and Hyp. fumipennis were the two earlier necrophagous flies that oviposited in all rabbit carcasses decomposing in both habitats. While all these necrophagous flies were observed infesting carcasses in Mount Kapur Cave, Hem. ligurriens and Hem. tagaliana were not found infesting carcasses in the surrounding forest habitat. Complete life cycles for six and five different necrophagous fly species were successfully observed in Mount Kapur Cave and its surrounding forest habitat, respectively. Significant delay in oviposition, as well as longer durations for completing the life cycles in several necrophagous fly species were observed in Mount Kapur Cave when compared with those of surrounding forest habitat (p < 0.05). These findings deserve consideration as the first ever forensic empirical baseline data on oviposition and completion of life cycles for necrophagous flies in Sarawak as well as in a cave habitat, in view of its practical values for estimating mPMI for forensic practical caseworks.

Mosquitoes are undesirable arthropods transmitting many diseases not only in Saudi Arabia but also worldwide. Identifying mosquito species relied for long time on both larval and adult characters whilst little or no attention was given to eggs. Electron microscopic studies of mosquito eggs are important as it is not only characterizing the external morphology of the eggs never seen by stereoscopic microscopes but also facilitates mosquito species identification. Accordingly, morphology and morphometric of Culex pipiens eggs collected from Al-Ahsa oasis, eastern Saudi Arabia were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the first time in Saudi Arabia in the present work. Mosquito egg rafts were collected from breeding sites in Al-Ahsa by using of special long aquatic net. A portion of the rafts was reared for identification whilst the other portion was preserved in glutaraldehyde and prepared for SEM examination. Eggs appeared to be conical in shape with two ends, the anterior one that is represented with the micropyle is more tapered than the posterior end. The morphometrics gave many characteristics for the eggs such as length, width, proportion of length /width and so on. Eggs morphology and morphometrics were then compared to that of other Culex eggs. Our findings using SEM of the eggshell confirmed that the present mosquito species is Cx. pipiens. Scanning electron micrographs of any mosquito species eggs are valuable in correlating its fine structure that cannot be easily seen by light microscope and can assist in species separation. Thus, identifying medically important mosquito species is crucial in both mosquito and disease control.

Dengue fever is one of major health problem around the world including Malaysia. It is caused by the arthropode-borne flavivirus and transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito infected with one of the four dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, or DENV-4). In this study, a screening exercise of various Malaysian medicinal plants showed that the extracts of Lawsonia inermis, Dryobalanops aromatica, Punica granatum, Zizyphus jujuba Lam. and Zingiber zerumbet exhibited potent inhibitory activity against NS2B-NS3 serine protease. The methanol extracts of Dryobalanops aromatica showed inhibition of 99.70 % at concentration of 200 μg/mL with IC50 value of 0.30 ± 0.16 μg/mL.