Download Entomology 1: Taxonomy

Forensic Entomology and
Taxonomy
Entomology 1
Forensic Entomology
• Refers to any aspect of the study of
insects/arthropods and how they interact with
legal matters
– Taxonomy
– Entomology
– Pathology
• Largely ignored as a forensic tool - considered
another disgusting aspect of death
• Contributions have been known to science for
over 700 years
• Very specialized field - few experts
– Only 62 experts recognized worldwide
Uses in Forensics
• To determine approximate time of death
for advanced decomposition cases
– Remember – legally requires a pathologist,
not an entomologist
• Cases involving sudden death
• Traffic accidents with no immediately
obvious cause
• Possible criminal misuse of insects
Fields of Forensic Entomology
• Medicocriminal
– Criminal section – focuses on insects feeding
on human remains
• Urban
– Focuses on insects that affect man & their
immediate environment (houses, etc.)
• Stored Products
– Focuses on insect infestations in food &
beverages
Scientific Aspects
• Noting successive colonization by a
variety of species
• Identifying the developmental stages of
found insects
• Geographic distribution of insect/arthropod
species
• Can lead to location of death
History
• 1235
– Sung Tzu
– Asked villagers to bring out their sickles after a slashing
- flies were attracted to one of the sickles
• 1668
– Famous experiment showed that maggots did not
“spring” from rotten meat
• 1855
– First time insects were used to determine an
approximate time of death for a dead baby found
behind a wall
History
• 1936
– Works published in the development of typical
blow flies and flesh flies
• 1985
– Realized weather conditions greatly affected
insect propagation
• 1986
– 1st forensic entomology text
Taxonomy
• Science of classifying living things into
patterns
• Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778)
– Swedish botanist
– Designed 7 tiered system still in use today
• Originally based on physical
characteristics
– Now includes genetic links
– Also originally included some mythical beasts
Linnaean Taxonomy
• Hierarchy
– Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family,
Genus, Species
– Also includes super, sub and infra levels
• Class Insecta (important to forensics!)
– Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Arthropoda
– Class: Insecta
» Order Diptera
» Order Coleoptera