Forensic Entomology Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on forensic entomology lecture notes.

Forensic Entomology

The use of insects in criminal investigations to determine time of death, whether a body was moved, and other factors.

Blowflies

Insects often among the first to arrive at a crime scene, attracted to decomposing flesh, and whose larvae development helps estimate time of death.

Beetles

Insects found on bodies dead for longer periods, attracted to decaying flesh, providing information about the location of death.

Ants

Insects attracted to the scent of decomposing flesh, leaving pheromone traces, region/season specific, and can change decomposition rate.

Postmortem Interval (PMI)

The time difference between an individual’s death and the discovery of their body.

Insect Larvae Identification

The first step in estimating PMI involves identifying the insect species found on the body.

Insect Larvae Age Determination

Step two of estimating PMI involves determining the age of the oldest larvae present.

PMI Determination

Step three of estimating PMI, using the age of the insect to determine postmortem interval

Human Taphonomy Facilities

Also known as body farms, these facilities study the decomposition of human bodies under different weather conditions.

Entomotoxicology Tests

Tests that can be completed on insect larvae to determine toxin presence if the body is too decomposed

Thin-layer chromatography

A method to separate components based on distance travelled

Gas chromatography

A method that vaporizes chemical mixtures to separate them

Mass spectrometry

A method to compare mass and size of particles

Entomotoxicology

The study of how toxins in a body affect insect development rates, aiding in more accurate time of death estimation.

Toxins

Can influence rate of insect development

Cocaine and Heroin

Toxins that speed up larval development

Malthione

A toxin that can slow down the process of insect colonization

Strengths of Forensic Entomology

An effective method for determining time of death if all necessary information is known.

Limitations of Forensic Entomology

Unreliable if unsure how insects grow in specific weather conditions.

Tennessee 1981

Where the first body farm was created and is still in use today