FSC239Y5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Post-Mortem Interval, Forensic Entomology, Calliphoridae
Document Summary
Forensic entomology: the study of insects and their relation to a criminal investigation. Such practice is commonly used to estimate the time of death when the circumstances surrounding the crime are unknown. Determination can be carried out by studying the stage of development of maggots or insects sequence of arrival. After decomposition begins, necrophilious insects, or insects that feed on dead tissue are first to infest the body, usually within 24 hours. the most common and important of these is the blowfly, recognized by its green or blue colour. Blowfly eggs are laid in human remains and ultimately hatch into maggots, or fly larvae, which consume human tissue and organs. A single blowfly can lay thousands of eggs during its lifetime. The resulting larvae gather and feed as a maggot mass on the decomposing remains. Forensic entomologists can approximate how long a body has been left exposed by examining the stage of development of the fly larvae.
