Forensic Entomology
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1
What is forensic entomology?
The application of insect and other arthropod biology to legal investigations, including the examination of insects associated with human remains.
2
What is medicolegal forensic entomology?
The branch of forensic entomology concerned with insects and other arthropods associated with deaths, injuries, and related investigations.
3
What is the minimum postmortem interval or PMImin estimated from insect evidence?
A lower-bound estimate of time since death based on the age of the oldest relevant insects and their likely colonization history.
4
Why does the age of insects on remains not necessarily equal the time since death?
Insect colonization may occur after a delay or, in some circumstances, before death.
5
What is insect colonization of a corpse?
The arrival, egg deposition, larval deposition, or establishment of insects on remains.
6
What is insect succession during decomposition?
The changing composition of insect species and communities associated with remains as decomposition progresses.
7
What is a necrophagous insect?
An insect that feeds on decomposing animal tissues.
8
What is a predaceous insect in decomposition ecology?
An insect that feeds on other insects or organisms associated with decomposing remains.
9
What is an omnivorous insect in a decomposition community?
An insect that consumes more than one type of food source, potentially including decomposing tissue and other organisms.
10
What is a calliphorid fly?
A member of the family Calliphoridae, commonly called a blowfly, whose species may colonize decomposing remains.
11
Why are blowflies important in forensic entomology?
Some species colonize remains early and have developmental patterns that can assist in estimating the minimum time since colonization.
12
What is the general life cycle of a typical egg-laying blowfly?
Egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
13
What is an insect instar?
A developmental stage between successive molts.
14
How many larval instars are typical of many forensic blowfly species?
Three larval instars.
15
What is the first larval instar?
The earliest larval stage after hatching, before the first molt.
16
What is the second larval instar?
The larval stage between the first and second molts.
17
What is the third larval instar?
The final larval stage before the transition toward pupation in typical blowfly development.
18
What is a postfeeding larva?
A larva that has completed feeding and may migrate away from the food source to find a suitable pupation site.
19
What is a puparium?
The hardened outer covering formed from the final larval skin of certain flies, enclosing the developing pupa.
20
What is eclosion?
The emergence of an adult insect from its pupal covering or other preceding developmental stage.
21
What are posterior spiracles in fly larvae?
Respiratory openings near the posterior end whose structure can help identify certain larval groups and developmental stages.
22
What is a cephalopharyngeal skeleton in a fly larva?
An internal head and mouthpart structure that can provide useful taxonomic and developmental characteristics.
23
Why is accurate insect species identification important for PMI estimation?
Different species develop at different rates and have different environmental requirements.
24
What is a dichotomous key in forensic entomology?
An identification tool using successive choices between contrasting characteristics to classify organisms.
25
What is forensic insect rearing?
Maintaining collected immature insects under documented conditions to observe development or obtain adults for identification.
26
Why should some insect specimens be preserved immediately while others are kept alive?
Preserved specimens document the developmental stage at collection, while live specimens may be reared to assist identification.
27
What is the importance of collecting insects from multiple locations on and around remains?
Different locations may contain distinct species or developmental stages, including larvae that have migrated away to pupate.
28
Why should soil beneath and around remains be examined for insect evidence?
Postfeeding larvae and puparia may be concealed in soil or nearby sheltered locations.
29
What is accumulated degree hours or ADH?
The sum of effective temperature units above a specified developmental threshold accumulated over time.
30
What is accumulated degree days or ADD?
The sum of effective daily temperature units above a specified developmental threshold.
31
What is a lower developmental threshold?
The temperature below which a particular developmental model assumes little or no effective insect development.
32
What is the simplified formula for effective degree hours at a constant temperature?
ADH = (ambient temperature minus developmental threshold) multiplied by hours, provided the model's assumptions are satisfied.
33
Scenario: The temperature is 25°C, the developmental threshold is 10°C, and exposure lasts 12 hours. What is the simplified ADH?
180 degree-hours, calculated as (25 − 10) × 12.
34
Scenario: An insect requires 600 ADH and develops at a constant 20°C with a 10°C threshold. What is the estimated development time?
60 hours, calculated as 600 divided by 10 effective degrees per hour.
35
Why must forensic entomologists use species-specific developmental data?
Developmental thresholds and rates differ among species and may also vary among populations and experimental conditions.
36
What is a limitation of simple linear degree-hour calculations?
Insect development may not remain linear across extreme temperatures or outside the validated range of a developmental model.
37
How can a larval mass affect developmental temperature?
Aggregated larvae may generate metabolic heat, making the mass warmer than the surrounding air.
38
Why is temperature history essential to insect-based PMI estimation?
Insect growth rates depend strongly on the temperatures experienced during development.
39
How can refrigeration of a body affect insect-based PMI estimation?
Cooling may slow or interrupt development, requiring consideration of the storage period and temperatures.
40
How can burial affect insect colonization?
Burial can delay or restrict access by insects and alter the species present and their developmental conditions.
41
How can wrapping or enclosure affect insect colonization?
Physical barriers may delay insect access and change the timing and pattern of colonization.
42
What is entomotoxicology?
The study of drugs, poisons, and other chemicals in insects associated with remains, including possible effects on insect development.
43
Why can drugs or toxins complicate insect-based PMI estimates?
Certain substances may alter insect development rates or survival, depending on the species and exposure.
44
Can insects be useful for toxicological examination when human tissues are severely decomposed?
Yes. Insect specimens may sometimes provide material for toxicological testing, although interpretation has important limitations.
45
What is the significance of insect activity in postmortem wound interpretation?
Insect feeding can create defects that resemble injuries and must be distinguished from trauma occurring before death.
46
Why is local habitat important in forensic entomology?
Urban, rural, coastal, forested, and indoor environments may support different insect communities and colonization patterns.
47
Scenario: The oldest larvae on a body are estimated to have developed for four days. Can the examiner conclude that death occurred exactly four days earlier?
No. Four days may support a minimum colonization-based interval, but death may have preceded insect colonization.
48
Scenario: A corpse was kept in an air-conditioned room before discovery. Why should outdoor weather data not be used alone?
The insects may have experienced substantially different indoor temperatures that affected their development.
49
Scenario: Large larvae are present on the body, but older puparia are recovered several meters away. Which evidence may be most important for estimating the earliest colonization?
The oldest reliably associated developmental stage, potentially the puparia, after species identification and assessment of the scene.
50
Scenario: Two entomological estimates differ because the analysts used different developmental datasets. What should be reviewed?
Species identification, dataset applicability, temperature records, developmental assumptions, uncertainty, and the basis for each estimate.
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