Forensic Entomology
A forensic pathologist can use characteristics such as rigor mortis to calculate the PMI in the first few hours after death, but the utility of these methods decreases quickly. At the other extreme, skeletal remains provide little help for estimating the postmortem interval. Forensic entomology, the study of insects, can sometimes bridge the gap and provide estimates of the PMI when decomposition is an issue.
As we will see in this chapter, insects are drawn to bodies soon after death. Since their lifecycles are well-understood, forensic entomologists can evaluate the state of insect colonization to estimate how much time has elapsed since their arrival. Much like succession and clandestine graves, the succession of insects on a corpse relates to elapsed time since death.
Learning Objectives
8.1 Describe the succession of insects that can populate a body and how this process relates to the postmortem interval
8.2 List the most common types of flies and beetles encountered in forensic entomology
8.3 Appreciate the role of forensic entomology in death investigation
8.4 List factors that affect insect growth and development
