"Forensic entomology is the scientific study of the colonization of a dead body by arthropods."
Study of the use of insects in criminal investigations, especially in estimating time of death and determining causes of death.
Basic insect biology and anatomy: A study of insect morphology and life cycles is necessary for identifying species commonly used in forensic entomology.
Insect collection and preservation: The proper collection and preservation of insects is critical to ensure that they can be identified and analyzed accurately.
Insect identification: Forensic entomologists need to be able to identify insect species collected on crime scenes, from eggs to adults.
Life cycles and developmental dynamics of insects: Understanding how insects develop and their stages of growth is important in determining their age and time of colonization.
Ecology of insect species: An understanding of the habits and preferences of insects helps in selecting the appropriate species for forensic investigations.
Decomposition of a human corpse: The different stages of decomposition provide entomological evidence that can help determine the time of death.
Estimation of the time of colonization of a corpse by insects: Forensic entomologists use the stages of insect development, to estimate how long a corpse has been at a crime scene.
Factors affecting the colonization and activities of insects on a corpse: Factors such as temperature, humidity, and environmental features of the crime scene can affect the behavior of insects and their colonization of a corpse.
Legal and ethical considerations: Forensic entomology has ethical and legal considerations such as sample collection, evidentiary value of the analysis, and expert witness testimony.
Use of DNA sequence analysis in species identification: A relatively newer molecular technique used in forensic entomology to identify insect species, which provides critical evidence in legal cases.
Tools and techniques used in forensic entomology: Different entomological equipment is used to collect and preserve specimens from a crime scene.
Forensic entomology case studies: Review of forensic cases, such as analyzing postmortem decay rate of a corpse or when a victim died in relation to presence of insects, which helps to apply the entomology knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Medicolegal Entomology: This is the most common type of forensic entomology, where insects are used to determine details about a crime or death investigation, including time of death, the location of death and the possible weapons used to commit the crime.
Urban Entomology: This branch of entomology focuses on insects that affect humans and their urban environment, such as cockroaches, bed bugs, and mosquitoes.
Veterinary Entomology: This is the study of insects that affect animals, including livestock and pets, and the treatment and prevention of insect-related diseases.
Agricultural Entomology: This is a field of entomology that deals with insects that affect crops and farming practices.
Forest Entomology: This field involves the study of insects that live in forests, including both beneficial and pest species.
Medical Entomology: This field focuses on the study of insects that can transmit diseases to humans or animals, such as mosquitoes and ticks.
Conservation Entomology: This field involves the study of insects and their role in maintaining biodiversity, the prevention of species loss and conservation of ecosystems.
Acarology: This is the study of mites and ticks, which can cause agricultural and human health problems.
Paleontological Entomology: This field involves the study of insects found in fossils and amber, and helps to understand the history of insect evolution and the earth's past ecosystems.
Marine Entomology: This is a field that involves the study of insects that inhabit marine environments, such as sand flies, and the effects that pollution and global warming have on these populations.
"This includes the study of insect types commonly associated with cadavers, their respective life cycles, their ecological presences in a given environment, as well as the changes in insect assemblage with the progression of decomposition."
"Insect succession patterns are identified based on the time a given species of insect spends in a given developmental stage, and how many generations have been produced since the insects' introduction to a given food source."
"Insect development alongside environmental data such as temperature and vapor density can be used to estimate the time since death."
"Flying insects are attracted to a body immediately after death."
"The identification of postmortem interval to aid in death investigations is the primary scope of this scientific field."
"Forensic entomology is not limited to homicides, it has also been used in cases of neglect and abuse, in toxicology contexts to detect the presence of drugs, and in dry shelf food contamination incidents."
"Insect assemblages present on a body can be used to approximate a given location, as certain insects may be unique to certain areas."
"Therefore, forensic entomology can be divided into three subfields: urban, stored-product, and medico-legal/medico-criminal entomology."
"Urban entomology focuses on insects commonly found in urban environments and their interactions with dead bodies."
"Stored-product entomology is relevant in cases involving contamination or tampering with food products."
"Medico-legal/medico-criminal entomology specializes in the analysis of insects in forensic cases, aiding in determining cause and time of death."
"The study of insect types commonly associated with cadavers" involves understanding their characteristics and behaviors.
"Changes in insect assemblage occur with the progression of decomposition."
"Insect succession patterns are identified based on... how many generations have been produced since the insects' introduction to a given food source."
"... environmental data such as temperature and vapor density can be used to estimate the time since death."
"Forensic entomology has been used in toxicology contexts to detect the presence of drugs."
"Forensic entomology has also been used in cases of neglect and abuse."
"Certain insects may be unique to certain areas."
"Medico-legal/medico-criminal entomology specializes in the analysis of insects in forensic cases, aiding in determining cause and time of death."