Forensic entomology for the investigator

Forensic entomology is a discipline deeply rooted in history that is still evolving with regards to its utility in both the modern scientific community and medicolegal death investigations. While there are many applications of forensic entomology with the forensic sciences, the most common application is that of the estimation of time since death, also often known as a minimum postmortem interval, which in some instances can be equal to the time of colonization. This time estimation is based on the period of insect activity on a body, and the age of the insects collected from the remains can aid in determining a portion of the postmortem interval. For this estimation, temperature is a key element of entomological evidence collection, along with the insects themselves. Proper documentation of the scene conditions in which the body is discovered is essential for use in an entomological postmortem interval estimation. Likewise, proper documentation and collection of the insects from the body and the death scene—including a representative sample of all areas of colonization and species present—better allows the entomologist to provide a more accurate and useful estimation of time since death. This article is categorized under: Forensic Biology > Interpretation of Biological Evidence Forensic Anthropology > Time Since Death Estimation Forensic Science in Action/Crime Scene Investigation > Crime Scene Examination Blow flies are the most common insect associated with the decomposition of a human body. They are responsible for consuming most of the soft tissues of a body in only a few days.