Volatile organic compounds derived from microbes recruit insects to carrion, shaping community assembly and ecological succession. The importance of individual volatiles and interactions between volatiles are difficult to assess in the field because of (1) the myriad compounds from decomposing animals and (2) the likelihood that complex volatile blends are important for the final approach to carrion. On the assumption that searching carrion-frequenting beetles may use simpler cues to orient at a distance, we employed a chemically-supplemented minimal trap that uses test chemicals associated with active decay to attract from a distance and a minimal carrion bait (a small fresh mouse carcass) to induce trap entry. Traps supplemented with both methyl thiolacetate (MeSAc) and dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) attracted greater numbers of beetles including adult silphids (Necrophila americana and Oiceoptoma noveboracense) and the histerid Euspilotus assimilis than the combined totals of DMTS-only and MeSAc-only traps, demonstrating a synergism. The attraction of larval Necrophila americana to traps left in the field for less than 24 h suggests that larvae move between carrion sources. The use of such species for forensic applications requires caution.

源自微生物的挥发性有机化合物会将昆虫吸引到腐肉中，影响群落的集结和生态演替。在田间很难评估单个挥发物的重要性以及挥发物之间的相互作用，因为（1）来自分解动物的无数化合物，以及（2）复杂的挥发物共混物对最终腐肉的处理很重要的可能性。假设搜寻腐肉频繁的甲虫可以使用更简单的线索在远处定向，我们采用了化学补给的最小陷阱，该陷阱使用与主动衰变相关的测试化学物质从远处吸引并使用最小的腐肉诱饵（一只新鲜的小老鼠） cas体）以诱捕陷阱。与仅DMTS捕集阱和仅MeSAc捕集阱的总和相比，美国死灵菌和新近产卵形拟南芥和类似的Euspilotus assimilis表现出协同作用。幼虫美国死灵对不到24小时仍留在田间的陷阱的吸引力表明，幼虫在腐肉源之间移动。将此类物质用于法医应用需要谨慎。