Forensic Entomology

Instar - 5mm long after -- to -- days

1-8

Eggs hatch into larva in -- to -- hours

12-24

What bones can provide clues for each of the following items? Race -

Analyzing the skull.

Forensic entomologists use their knowledge of insects and their life cycles and --- to give them clues as about a crime.

Behaviors

CT Scan-

Detects changes from disease or trauma

What bones can provide clues for each of the following items? Sex -

Determined by examining the skull, pelvis, humerus, and femur.

Most insects used in investigations are in two major orders:

Diptera(flies) ; Coleoptera (beetles)

Forensic --- apply their knowledge of entomology to provide information for criminal investigations.

Entomologists

A forensic entomologist's job may include: Collection and preservation of insects as ---

Evidence

What techniques or tools did the scientists use to find the body?

Ground ultrasound, probes, brushes

DNA analysis-

Identify individuals

What other information can we learn from bones?

Injuries and cause of death.

A forensic entomologist's job may include: Identification of insects at various stages of their ---, such as eggs, larva, pupa, and adults.

Life cycle

Blow flies are attracted to dead bodies and often arrive within --- of the death of an animal. They have a --- life cycle that consists of egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages.

Minutes ; complete

Scanning electron microscope-

More visualization of teeth or bone.

A forensic entomologist's job may include: Determining an estimate for the postmortem interval or --- (the time between death and discovery of the body) using factors such as insect evidence, weather conditions, location and condition of the body, etc.

PMI

What information did they provide for law enforcement agencies?

The profile of a person.

How did they narrow down the areas to investigate?

They looked for disturbed soil.

Phalanges

fingers, toes

2nd Instar - 10mm long after -- to -- days

2-5

How many skeletons do they have in their collection?

30,000

3rd Instar - 14-16mm long after -- to -- days

4-5

Adult flies emerge from pupa cases after -- to -- days

6-8

What four things do we want to know about a skeleton?

Sex, age, race, stature.

X-ray-

Shows outer bone structure for trauma injuries

What does a forensic anthropologist investigate?

Skeletal remains

What bones are most useful for developing a profile of a person?

Skull, Humerus, Femur, Pelvis

What is "disturbed soil?" What might it indicate?

Soft soil that doesn't match the soil around an area. This can indicate where a body may have been buried.

Species --- may also provide clues for investigators. Some species may feed on a --- corpse, while another species may prefer to feed on one that has been dead for two weeks. Investigators will also find other insect species that --- on the insects feeding on the corpse.

Succession ; fresh ; prey

What bones can provide clues for each of the following items? Age & Stature -

Teeth, bone growth, cranial structure lines, length of specific bones.

They will also collect weather data related to daily --- (highs/lows) and --- for a period of time before the body was discovered to the time the insect evidence was collected.

Temperature ; precipitation

A forensic entomologist's job may include: --- in court to explain insect-related evidence found at a crime scene.

Testifying

Mass spectrometer-

Tests for chemicals such as heavy metals in bones

List 3 factors that could affect a forensic entomologist's estimate of PMI

Was the body enclosed in an area or wrapped in a material that would have prevented flies from finding the corpse and laying eggs? Were other insect species present that may have affected the development of the collected species? Were there drugs or other poisons in or on the body that might have affected the larvae's development?

--- data is also an important tool in analyzing insect evidence from a corpse. Investigators will make note of the temperature of the ---, ground surface, the interface area between the body and the ground, and the --- under the body as well as the temperature inside any --- masses.

Weather ; area ; soil ; maggot