Entomology

Forensic Entomology Forensic Entomology is the study of insects and arthropods which help aid the legal system. This includes insects, arachnids, centipedes, millipedes, and crustaceans most commonly maggots are used. Forensic entomology can not only aid in murder investigations but it can also be used to detect abuse of children and the elderly, to determine the location of the crime scene if the body had been moved, termite damage or even bugs in food. History Forensic Entomology was first used in the 13th century in a Chinese village. During the middle ages the relation between maggots and adult flies laying eggs was not recognised, through the detailed illustration of bodies containing maggots was normal. During the 19th Century it was noted that flies were attracted to bodies during the early stages of decomposition. Forensic Entomology was first used in a courtroom in France in 1850, it was viewed as a breakthrough. It was also discovered there were both pros and cons in using insects to determine the PMI (Post Mortem Interval). Forensic Entomology was properly established in the 18th Century by Yovanovich and Megnin who evaluated the succession of insects on bodies. Forensic Entomology is split up into three main areas: Urban, Stored-Product and Medico-Legal. Urban Forensic Entomology Urban Forensic…

Define forensic entomology? Entomology is the highly diverse study of insects and is a subarea of anthropology. The forensic section of entomology deals with application of the the study of how insects relate to criminal matters. In most cases they deal with time of death determinations, location of death, and determining whether the body was moved or not. Bugs eat materials inside of and outside of the body throughout decomposition. A way to use them to determine how long someone has been…

An Entomological Study to Determine the Time since Death in Cases of Decomposed Bodies is a brief and informative article written by Parmod Goyal. The article begins with an abstract, which first defines forensic entomology as “the application of knowledge of insects during the investigation of crimes or other legal matters.” Determining the time since death of a human is extremely important, but finding this specific time becomes more difficult as the body decomposes. Although in the early…

Question: Does the odorous smell of Tapinoma Sessile, more commonly known as Blue Cheese Ants or odorous house ants, decrease the rate of predation from predators such as toads? In context: Tapinoma Sessile are common pests in our everyday environment. They vary in size from 2.4 to 3.2 mm and can take shelter both outdoors and indoors. They feed on sugary snacks like honeydew, a glucose-filled fluid produced by small arthropods like aphids. They also feed on dead insects and spiders. To most…

An autopsy is done to gather evidence of a cadaver in an investigation to know the cause and time of death. The individual administering the autopsy is known as the pathologist who is a medical doctor that determines the time, cause, and means of a crime. The pathologist will determine if a weapon was used to kill the victim, whether the victim lived after the injury, evidence of a struggle self-defense or rape/sex related crimes. Algor mortis is one of the three mortises calculates the average…

Insects are the reason our bodies actually decompose. They are drawn to the stench of cadaverine and putrescine once your body starts producing it. As stated before, when an individual dies, their body starts to decay about 4 minutes after their heart stops beating and their cells are deprived of oxygen. Insects, such as blowflies, seek out damp orifices to lay their eggs in. After the bloat stage of decomposition the body becomes open to its surroundings and insect activity tends to increase…

Other responsibilities of forensic entomologists include studying the climate of the crime scene, deduce whether or not insects found at the scene are native to the surrounding environment, and properly handling all entomological evidence found at the scene in order to ensure admissibility in court. Forensic entomologists first need a strong educational background in various fields of forensic science, as well as biology. Typical coursework for an aspiring forensic entomologist will include…

Evidence Interpretation Over the years, there have been several cases that have been resolved with a false guilty plea or cases where a guilty party was not convicted of a crime. There are various elements that play a role in solving cases; evidence is a one of these key elements. Many factors can determine if the evidence submitted before a court of law is accurate such as how the evidence is collected, if proper protocell was followed before the laboratory’s handling of the evidence, and if…

significance in context with the relationship of refrigeration and development. Ames and Turner (2003) revisit this point in their concluding remarks, suggesting that diapause, since it requires specific triggers for its activation and deactivation, is unlikely to be the physiological mechanism at work here, and instead it is likely that the flies are experiencing quiescence, indicating that it can not be assumed that no growth has occurred during cold periods. The first true application of…

small things that affect the big picture, it is particularly true with blood-sucking insects. They may be small, but because they are often the vectors for disease, they could make a healthy person fall terribly ill. In some cases, it can even be fatal. So you need to follow some methods to getting rid of ticks. We are familiar with mosquitoes. Mosquitoes fly and buzz. More often than not, we prepare ourselves to repel mosquitoes. There is another critter that we have to be aware off. It does…