SHORT COMMUNICATION:CHALLENGES IN THE MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF SOIL MITES ASSOCIATED WITH MASS MORTALITY EVENTS

Abby K. Jones, Nurul Azmiera, Chong Chin Heo, Van Lun Low, Razuin Rahimi, Jamal Houssaini, Farah Roslinda Mohd Rustam

Abstract


Forensic acarology is an emerging field of science which utilizes mites in death investigations, particularly in cases where entomological evidence is limited. Mites are found in various locations and can withstand many harsh conditions including mummification, burial, and low temperatures. However, acarological information is lacking in forensic cases, which is further exacerbated by the lack of acarology experts and difficult morphological keys. Our research initially aimed to evaluate the diversity and species composition of mites in soil at previous simulated mass mortality events. Unfortunately, we were never able to conclusively receive solid molecular results. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to discuss the technical difficulties and challenges associated with molecular mite analysis, specifically focusing on Oribatida. After testing numerous primers, only ITS1&4 resulted in oribatid identifications. However, query cover was low (<23%) and percent similarity was less than 90%. This outcome could be due to poor DNA yield, the lack of optimized or standardized molecular protocols, and the limited availability of reference sequences, as the specimens may represent undescribed or novel taxa. In this article, we discuss different protocols for Oribatida molecular analyses, our challenges, and our future suggestions and recommendations for improvements to future forensic acarology research.


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