Forensic entomology: A novel approach in crime investigation

Abstract

Forensic entomology is an application of studies related to insects and other arthropods in legal matters. Depth knowledge and experience of the biodiversity, biology, ecology, and behavior of forensic insects found on a human corpse or at a crime site, can provide information about time since death, location of the crime, and in some cases cause of death. Although forensic insects are used in crime investigation for three to four decades, it aroused recently as a very popular and independent branch of forensic science in crime investigation. While observing and examining insects on a corpse, knowledge of regional insects’ assemblages and their population dynamics play an important role in medico-legal entomology for an efficient criminal investigation. Forensic entomology has three components, named as urban, stored products, and medico-legal. As different groups of insects are attracted to different stages of decay, forensic insects invade the corpse in a typical sequence. The type of insects’ colonization found on corpses provides important information about the decomposition stage. Calliphoridae provides valuable evidences, particularly in determining time since death in criminal matters, where the time since death is prolonged and use of other conventional methods for estimation of time since death is limited. Two well-established ways used for estimation of post mortem interval are based on maggot’s development and succession waves of entomofauna. The latest scientific and technological developments in the field, such as its combined approach with forensic toxicology, forensic palynology, DNA based molecular identification of insect species, and other various methods to estimate post mortem interval, are many emerging fields under this periphery and forensic entomology lately became very popular among criminal investigators and forensic entomologists.