Aspects of forensic entomology in forensic medicine

Overview

ntomology, as a vast scientific discipline of zoology, deals with the study of insects, which are an integral part of the ecosystem of our planet and are closely linked to the activity and life cycle of all organisms, including humans. As a result of this natural connection, insects often become a direct “living witness” of a crime and thus an invaluable part of the evidence in a comprehensive forensic investigation, which in such cases necessarily includes a specialized field of science - forensic entomology. The goals of forensic entomology include comprehensive analysis of entomological evidence material and the use of knowledge about insects and other invertebrates for the purpose of investigating and verifying evidence in civil and criminal law. In practice, forensic entomology falls into several categories, including the issue of food pests in industry or agriculture, human and animal parasitology (especially myiasis) and very often the field of criminology and forensic medicine, where the results are mainly applied to determine the length of post mortem interval (PMI), evidence of manipulation of the corpse, or other forensic facts that results from entomological analysis. The conclusions of the entomology study are in many cases an invaluable part of the amount of information that leads to the answer of key questions in complex forensic evidence, especially in the group of serious crimes.

Keywords:

forensic entomology – Insects – forensic medicine – criminalistics – post mortem interval