To the editor: Misstatements concerning forensic entomology practice in recent publications.

Abstract

Forensic entomologists have used a wide variety of terms to describe one or more aspects of the time interval since death, often called the postmortem interval (PMI). Recently Tomberlin et al. (2011) proposed the most elaborate system of PMI terminology yet in their Fig. 1. My concern is that a large number of authors, including some from the original article and some who have appeared in the Journal of Medical Entomology, have incorrectly used Tomberlin et al.'s terms. In doing so, they have mischaracterized forensic entomology practice. The problematic technical phrases are postcolonization interval (PCI) and period of insect activity (PIA). According to Tomberlin et al. (2011), PCI begins with initial colonization of a corpse, presumably by a carrion insect egg or larva. Tomberlin et al.'s PIA (which is different from that of an earlier article by Campobasso et al. 2005) begins when the first insect detects the corpse. Consider the …