Angelica, I would love to hear of any further research you might carry out! I believe humidity would not reactivate any of the cues which carrion insects would respond to. After the remains are dessicated and naturally mummified, the chemical compounds of decomposition should be gone as well. Humidity on already-mummified remains would cause mold and other problems found in untreated leather or hair-based items. This research article provides more information relating to the chemical signals which attract insects to decomposition. Thank you for posting this interesting topic. Best wishes! https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.25.919696v1.full
On Thu, Jun 3, 2021 at 12:46 PM Angelica Isa-Adaniya <a.isa14...@gmail.com> wrote: > Thank you for your thoughts, Robin and Tony! I guess I was also concerned > that if these bundles became humid, that it would "reactivate" the > possibility of fresh carrion insects showing up on them. We will have to be > very observant. > > I'll let you know if we carry out further research on this and what we > find. > Best wishes, > Angelica > > On Thu, 3 Jun 2021 at 10:16, 'Robin F Hazen' via MuseumPests < > pestlist@googlegroups.com> wrote: > >> I would assume *C. macellaria *and *Dermestes maculatus are f*eeding on >> the protein of the natural mummy bundle. The others are probably >> incidental, as they would require actively decomposing remains. Very >> interesting question! >> >> Robin >> >> On Thu, Jun 3, 2021 at 10:48 AM Angelica Isa-Adaniya < >> a.isa14...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Dear everyone, >>> I have a question about old, presumably dried up and naturally mummified >>> human remains. >>> If I find flies normally associated with decomposing matter such as *Musca >>> domestica, Chrysomya albiceps *and *Cochliomyia macellaria*, and we are >>> in a relatively rural area, should I be concerned that they might be >>> getting to some packaged up funerary bundles? Or are they more likely just >>> flying in from outside? >>> >>> We found adult *M.domestica and C. albiceps* out in the open, but the *C. >>> macellaria *was one larva and one pupa on a mummy bundle as well as one >>> larva and one adult hide beetle *Dermestes maculatus* on a mummy. Am I >>> correct in assuming they're feeding on the remains? >>> >>> Thank you for any pointers on this. >>> Best, >>> >>> Angelica >>> Pachacamac Museum - Lima, Peru >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "MuseumPests" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CAAJvYjX-kK5MAR8YwadTsLAbWqzHvqmcx4yNn38rFv%3DEZU%2BmQQ%40mail.gmail.com >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CAAJvYjX-kK5MAR8YwadTsLAbWqzHvqmcx4yNn38rFv%3DEZU%2BmQQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >> >> >> -- >> >> Robin Hazen >> >> Preservation Specialist >> >> Binghamton University Libraries - Preservation Unit LS2525 >> >> 607-777-6220 >> >> rha...@binghamton.edu >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MuseumPests" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CANQ-UxStpEq-Q-6rSsKuUt5NCG00ft4H2Mn0yWCoeCnPfrw8%3Dg%40mail.gmail.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CANQ-UxStpEq-Q-6rSsKuUt5NCG00ft4H2Mn0yWCoeCnPfrw8%3Dg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MuseumPests" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CAAJvYjURNUmYkJ%3DaqrgcQk4e2McmjEcb0QcQ7n6cL9rz6qjD%2BQ%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CAAJvYjURNUmYkJ%3DaqrgcQk4e2McmjEcb0QcQ7n6cL9rz6qjD%2BQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- Robin Hazen Preservation Specialist Binghamton University Libraries - Preservation Unit LS2525 607-777-6220 rha...@binghamton.edu -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MuseumPests" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CANQ-UxThkgXc7UrYyxSH4OKxie7mqV4QAZStrOOL2g11EHVQCg%40mail.gmail.com.
