Chapter 9: Entomology

faunal succession

The ________ on carrion is linked to the natural changes that take place in a body following death.

Taphonomy

The study of an organism from the time it dies until the time it reaches the laboratory.

Ametabolous

Insects that undergoes slight or no metamorphosis.

Necrophilous insects

________ are attracted to dark, moist areas: On fresh bodies, this means the face (nostrils, mouth, eyes, etc .)

Omnivorous Species

They may eat material from the body, other insects or whatever food source presents itself.

Burial

________ also slows the process of decomposition due to lower and more constant temperatures, fewer bacteria, and limited access to the body.

Puparium

The hardened skin of the last larval instar and tends to be darker than the normal larval skin.

PMI

Insects are important evidence in ways other than estimating ________.

pupa

The ________ is a hardened outer shell or skin that protects the larva while it undergoes its final growth stage to the adult form.

Barcode of Life

The project to collect information on all known species.

Metamorphosis

Where the eggs yield immature forms that look like smaller forms of the adults.

Insects

________ have an external skeleton composed of a material called chitin and protein.

Forensic entomology

The application of the study of arthropods (order Arthropoda), including insects, arachnids (spiders and their kin), centipedes, millipedes, and crustaceans, to criminal or legal cases.

Taxonomic Key

A method for classifying organisms where each trait identified separates otherwise similar groups of organisms.

Insects bodies

________ are divided into three segments, which are joined to each other by flexible joints.

Taxonomy

The science of identifying and classifying organisms.

Nymphs

________ grow by molting (shedding their skin), and each successive molt produces a new instar or growth phase.

Necrophagous Species

Which feed on the carrion itself, contributing directly to the estimation of PMI.

thorax

The ________ is further divided into the prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax; each of these subsegments has a pair of legs.

larval form

The ________ is very different from the adult form, both in appearance and in its habitat.

maximal PMI

A(n) ________ can be difficult to estimate because the uncertainty widens as time and decomposition continues.

maggot mass effect

When a group of maggots is living, feeding, and moving all in approximately the same area, the temperature can soar by many degrees known as the ________.

Necrophilous insects

They are very sensitive to chemical changes in a dead body and can detect even the slightest hint of decomposition, sometimes within minutes of death.

Insects

________ are the largest group of arthropods and are defined by having six legs and a three segment body.