A Chinese book from 1248 AD tells of an investigator tasked with finding a murderer. He had figured out the implement used and narrowed his field of suspects. What did he employ as a tool in his study of the case?
Flies
The investigator had compared the fatal wounds to the results of using various implements on a dead animal, to determine that a sickle had been used in the crime. He had all the men who worked with sickles brought together and had them lay their too
A story involving a sickle (farming implement) and flies is the first documented case of which branch of forensics?
Forensic Entomology
Forensic entomology is the use of insect and arthropod evidence in criminal investigations. It has three main subfields: i) In Medico-legal entomology the focus is on violent crime and death investigations; ii) Urban entomology deals w
Can DNA technology be utilized in forensic entomology?
Yes - to determine insect species and/or human DNA from victim or suspect if the insect fed on the individual
Either the stage of insect on a body or the kinds of insects on a body can help a forensic entomologist approximate the:
Post-mortem Interval
is the time that has elapsed since a person has died
Entomology as a tool to solving criminal cases was first used by this man
Song Ci
Forensic entomology involves the study of insects. Insects are a very reliable indicator of post-mortem interval (the estimate of time since death). When and where was the first recorded application of forensic entomology?
13th Century China
Believe it or not, the first application of forensic entomology dates back to 1235 in China in a book entitled 'The Washing Away of Wrongs'. Following a murder in a rural village by slashing with a sickle, the local death investigator a
How would a forensic entomologist define a "flyspeck"?
The feces from a fly that has fed on blood
Insects, such as blow flies, are the first to infest a body after decomposition begins
True
Weather is a factor in the forensic entomologist's determination of time of death
true
Weather conditions will impact size and development of insect eggs or larvae. A forensic entomologist will have to study insect evidence in conjunction with weather conditions
What are the three subdivisions of forensic entomology?
Medicolegal, urban, and stored product pests
The medicolegal area focuses on corpse-feeding insects. The urban area looks at insects affecting men (both living and dead) as well as man's environment. Stored product pests are those varmints found in food,
What can forensic entomology be used to determine?
Time of death
location of death
neglect of the elderly
Dr. Robert D. Hall, forensic entomologist, states that "if you ask insects the right question, they give an honest answer". Insect evidence can estimate time of death and can also be used to determine
What method of forensic entomology is used to determine time since death when the corpse has been dead from one month to a year or more?
Successional waves of insects
Which of the following insects would most likely be the first to find a dead body in an outside environment?
Blowfly
The Calliphoridae or more commonly known blowfly are attracted to the smell of rotting flesh and can smell a dead animal or human from up to 10 miles (16 Km) away. Female blowflies will lay their eggs in the flesh and 72 hours later the eggs will
Which of these insects are considered to be late stage scavengers?
Hide Beetles
What is Wildlife Forensics?
Wildlife = animals and plants that are not domesticated, tame or cultivated
Forensic = relating, to, used in, or connected with the court of law
Scope of wildlife investigations
There are 3 main ways wild animals may be involved in litigation. Wildlife can be the...
Victim of an incident
Killed, or injured, or treated inhumanely
Malicious injury
Oil spills
Interaction with industry and human activities
Poaching of trophy and game animals
Exported/ imported illegally
Bioterrorism
Cause of an incident
i.e. they injury
Forensic Entomology
Detection and characterization on arthropods (insects) on the body
Arthropods = Diptera (flies and their larvae/ maggots), Coleoptera (beetles)
Useful information that can be sourced from arthopods on the body:
Infestations in live animal may indicate abu
Insects
Insects are the largest group of arthropods and are defined by having six legs and a three-segment body.
Life Cycles of insects
The first and simplest is ametabolous ("without change") metamorphosis, in which the eggs yield immature forms that look like smaller forms of the adults.
The second type of metamorphosis is paurometabolous, or gradual, metamorphosis. The hatchlings emerg
Collecting insects at a crime scene
The number, type, and distribution of insects drawn to a dead body will vary by the environmental conditions, time since death, location, geography, weather, and many other factors.
Therefore, they must also collect climatological data from the scene, as
Buried or enclosed remains
Buried or enclosed remains present particular problems for the entomologist because insects' access to a body is limited.
Burial also slows the process of decomposition due to lower and more constant temperatures, fewer bacteria, and limited access to the
Postmortem Interval
Calculating an estimated PMI sets a minimum and maximum time since death based on the insect evidence collected and developed.
The maximum limit is set by the insects present on and around the body at the time of collection; this limit is moderated by the
Other forensic uses for insects
Because they ingest portions of the bodies they inhabit, insects can ingest drugs, toxins, or other substances that are in the body at the time of death.
Additionally, DNA from the victim may be obtained from the guts of insects who feed on the body.
Thes