A Summary of Concepts, Procedures and Techniques Used by Forensic Entomologists and Proxies

Abstract

Forensic entomology is a branch of forensic science that incorporates insects as a part of solving crime. Insect-based evidence recovered at a crime scene can be used to estimate the minimum postmortem interval, determine if a carcass/corpse has been relocated, and contribute to the cause and manner of death. The current review summarises the stepwise usage of forensic entomology methods at a crime scene and in the laboratory, including specimen collection and rearing, identification, xenobiotic detection, documentation, and referencing previous research and casework. It also provides three standards for the collection of insects when attending a crime scene. The Gold standard attributes to a forensic entomologist (FE) who is likely to be well-trained attending a scene. The subsequent standards (Silver and Bronze) have been added because the authors believe that this information is currently missing in the literature. The purpose is so that an attending crime scene agent/proxy with some basic knowledge and some simple tools can recover almost all the insect information required by an FE to make the best estimation of the minimum postmortem interval.

Keywords: casework; crime scene; entomology procedures; skill base.

Figure 1

The different life stages of a fly. The measurements added are from Byrd and Tomberlin, 2020 [9]. (a) Fly egg raft (size range of single egg 1.2–2 mm). (b) Three larval instars (in ascending order; third, second, first instar (size range from 2–23 mm). (c) Fly pupa (size range from 6–23 mm). (d) Adult fly (size range from 6–14 mm).