Scavenging rate of palatable and toxic arthropod carrions during day and night

Rate of disappearance of fresh carcasses of various small palatable and unpalatable invertebrates exposed on soil surface in a semi-natural habitat showed how much they are protected chemically and mechanically without the contribution of their behaviour. Highly attractive species for the scavengers included woodlice Porcellionides pruinosus, young crickets Acheta domesticus, larvae of mealworm Tenebrio molitor and earwigs Forficula auricularia. Moderately attractive species was the lesser mealworm Alphitobius diaperinus. Least attractive species for the scavengers were firebugs Pyrrhocoris apterus and all ladybirds: Coccinella septempunctata, Hippodamia undecimnotata, Harmonia axyridis (adults and larvae), and Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata. Size of organisms and toughness of carcasses were not found to have influence on the speed of scavenging. Scavenging at night was slightly quicker than at day. Mostly ants were responsible for the scavenging.