Forensic Entomology

A forensic entomologist...

identifies insects are various stages of their life cycle, collects and preserves insects as evidence, determines the PMI, and testifies in court to explain insect-related evidence found at a crime scene

Weather data

investigators note the temperature of the air, ground, surface, and interface area between the body and the ground and soil under the body as well as the temperature inside maggot masses ; also collect data related to daily temperature and precipitation before the body was discovered to the time the insect evidence was collected

If the body was enclosed or wrapped in a material, would that prevent flies from finding the corpse and laying eggs?

it depends on how sealed off the body was

Would drugs or poisons affect larvae's development?

it depends on what they are immune to

Insects can help determine the...

location of a crime, what kind of insects are there, and how long a body has been there

PMI

postmortem interval--the time between death and discovery of the body ; determined by factors such as insect evidence, weather conditions,and the location and condition of body

Life cycle

1: adult flies lay eggs on the carcass especially near wound areas or openings in the body 2: eggs hatch into larvae or maggots in 12-24 hours 3: larvae grow and molt as they pass through instar stages

Instar stages

1st instar: 5mm long after 1.8 days 2nd instar: 10 mm long after 2.5 days 3rd instar: 14-16 mm long after 4-5 days 4th instar: larvae develop into pupa after burrowing in surrounding soil 5th instar: adult flies emerge after 6-8 days

Species succession

can provide clues for investigators ; Example: one species may feed on a fresh corpse while other prefer a corpse that has been dead for weeks

Blow fly life cycle

egg, larva, pupa, adult

Forensic entomologists

apply their knowledge of entomology to provide information for criminal investigations

Blow fly metamorphosis

are attracted to dead bodies ; arrive within minutes of death ; have complete life cycle

Would other insects effect the development of other species?

Yes

Beetles

also called Coleoptera

Flies

also called Diptera