Assessing How Environmental Variables and Carcass Microhabitat Drive Changes in Histeridae Beetle Populations During Buffalo Calf Decomposition

Comprehensive research examining the diversity, succession patterns, and ecological drivers of Histeridae (clown) beetles on decomposing buffalo calf carcasses in forest ecosystems of Punjab and Chandigarh, India. This integrative study combines field surveys across multiple decomposition stages with statistical modeling to quantify how environmental variables (soil pH, temperature, humidity) and carcass microhabitat characteristics influence Histeridae abundance and community assembly. Soil pH emerged as the dominant predictor, with acidic conditions (pH 5.9) supporting peak beetle populations (~147 individuals). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that soil pH alone accounts for 93.5% of explained variance in beetle abundance, with strong predictive performance (R² = 85.6%, 10-fold cross-validation R² = 78.1%). Secondary effects of carcass identity indicate microhabitat heterogeneity significantly modulates beetle colonization independent of pH. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the ecological determinants of carrion beetle communities and have direct applications for refining postmortem interval (PMI) estimates in forensic entomology investigations. The research addresses a significant gap in understanding decomposition processes and insect succession patterns in South Asian contexts, where forensic entomological data remain limited despite high forensic relevance.