Forensic Entomology
Forensic Entomology is the use of insects and other arthropods that feed on decaying remains to aid legal
investigations.
Divisions of Forensic Entomology
Urban: It concerns with litigations arising from Bedbugs and Termites affecting
manmade structures and other aspects of human environment.
Stored-Product: It covers the litigations arising from grains and other food
contamination by insects.
Medico-Legal: It involves the analysis of necrophagous insects to gain insight into
Time of Death (TOD).
Role of Forensic Entomologists is
• 1) Identification of insects at various stages of their life cycle.
• 2) Collection and preservation of insects as evidence.
• 3) Determining an estimate for the post-mortem interval or PMI (the time between death and
• the discovery of the body) using factors such as insect evidence, weather conditions etc
• 4) Testifying in the court to explain insect-related evidence found at a crime scene.
Historical Perspective of Forensic Entomology
• The earliest known reference about Forensic Entomology dates back to 13th century in a
• Chinese manuscript „The Washing Away of Wrongs‟ written by Sung Tzu. The first
• application of Forensic Entomology in determination of PMI in a child death in France by Dr
• Bergeret d' Arbois was done in 1850. Jean Pierre Megnin, a French veterinarian, did
• revolutionary work to give the theory of predictable waves, or successions of insects onto
• corpses. Bernard Greenberg is regarded as the father of modern Forensic Entomology.
(1) Time of death (Larval development):
• The first approach in estimation of time since death is the estimation of maggots developing
• in the body. For this purpose, the knowledge of life histories of flies of families Calliphoridae
• (blowflies), Sarcophagidae (flesh flies) and Muscidae (Houseflies) has an important
• application in forensic medicine.
2)Time since Death (Faunal Succession):
• Faunal Succession is the term used to describe the transition of colonising species from one
• insect species to another, through the different stages of decay. Succession is a less precise
• science than PMI relying to some extent on the forensic entomologist‟s prior knowledge of
• species over a wide range of families and is also reliant on knowledge of local fauna to assess
• the significance of the presence or absence of a particular species. The faunal succession can
• vary significantly between individual cadavers and the arrival times of certain species are
• influenced by local factors.
Blow Fly Life Cycle:
• 1st
• – Adult flies lay eggs on the carcass especially at wound areas or around the openings in
• the body such as the nose, eyes, ears, anus, etc.
• 2nd
• – Eggs hatch into larva (maggots) in 12-24 hours
• 3rd
• – Larvae continues to grow by feeding on corpse and molt (shed their exoskeletons) as
• they pass through the various instar stages
• 1st Instar stage– is 5 mm long after 1.8 days
• 2nd Instar stage – is 10 mm long after 2.5 days
• 3rd Instar stage– is 14-16 mm long after 4-5 days
• 4th
• – The larvae (17 mm), once it gets satiated develop into pupa after burrowing in
• surrounding soil.
• 5th
• – Adult flies emerge from pupa cases after 6-8 days.
Life Cycle of Blow Fly:
The most frequent application of insects to criminal investigation is the estimation of a post
mortem interval (PMI): the minimum period since the first eggs were laid. Considerations
affecting this estimation include the ambient temperature, weather, time of day, presence of
drugs, amount of clothing or attempts to conceal or destroy evidence, indoors or outdoors, to
prevent investigation.
Other important applications of forensic entomology include the assessment of drug use and
the extraction of human DNA from the crops of haematophagous species. Significant
developments are expected in both these areas of research.
In the wider forensic context, insects are used in many aspects of forensic investigation,
sometimes of less medical significance such as: veterinary cases, misapplication of
pesticides, conservation, import violations, food contamination & insurance disputes.
Forensic entomology is an emerging field in forensic sciences. It has become an important
tool in criminal investigations. Increased instances of forensic entomologists being involved
in criminal investigations, as part of the forensic team, have necessitated the need for an
increase in awareness of emerging sciences like forensic entomology and its applications.
“The insects will tell you everything, people lie, but insects don‟t lie”
