Forensic Entomology

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Forensic Entomology

• Joyce Chan
• Instructor Mary Villani

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What is Forensic Entomology?

• Entomology is the study of insects
• Forensic Entomology is the application of using
  arthropods in legal investigations
• It is typically sub-grouped into Urban,
  Stored-Product, and Medicolegal

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Urban Entomology

• Urban pest infestations in buildings or gardens
  that may be the basis of litigation between
  private parties and service providers

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Stored-Product Entomology

• Stored-product used in litigation over
  infestation or contamination of commercially
  distributed foods by insects

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Medicolegal Entomology

• Medicolegal used in litigation over criminal
  actions by people, in cases such as murder, rape,
  suicide, physical abuse, etc.

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History of Forensic Entomology The Earliest Case

• Sung Tz'u (1235 AD) Chinese death
  investigator
• Wrote The Washing Away of Wrongs
• First forensic entomology case recorded
• A murder by slashing occurred in a village, and
  the local death investigator was ordered to solve
  the crime. The investigator had all villagers
  bring their sickles to one spot and lay them out
  before the crowd. Flies were attracted to one of
  the sickles, probably because of invisible
  remnants of tissue still remaining on it, and the
  owner subsequently broke down and confessed to
  the crime.

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Insects

• Name comes from Latin insectus, meaning cut into
  sections, referring to the segmented bodies of
  insects
• Major group of Arthropods
• Most diverse group of animals on Earth
• Over 1 million species
• Two groups Apterygota (wingless) and Pterygota
  (winged)

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Arthropods

• Means jointed foot, all arthropods have jointed
  legs
• Largest phylum of animals includes insects,
  arachnids, crustaceans, and many others

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Faunal Succession

• Insects arrive at the scene in a predictable
  series of progression
• Used to determine time of death
• Can be affected by temperature, sun exposure,
  location of body, as well as the surrounding
  environment

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Faunal Succession Chart
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First Wave Blowflies

• First to arrive at the scene
• Member of the Calliphoridae family
• Metallic in appearance
• Usually blue, green, or black
• 10-12 mm in length
• Ability to smell death 10 miles away

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Second Wave Flesh Flies

• Part of the second wave
• Member of the Sarcophagidae family
• Breed in carrion, dung, or decaying material
• Some breed in open wounds of mammals

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Third Wave Dermestid Beetles

• Member of the Coleoptera family
• Common names include larder beetle, hide beetle,
  carpet beetle, and kharpa beetle
• Some species cause millions of dollars worth of
  damage to fibers
• Life cycle is about 45 days

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Later Waves Mites

• Belongs to subclass Acarina
• Have existed for over 400 million years
• Over 45,000 species of mites
• Usually found in warm locations

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Protocol

• Scene inspection
• Weather Data
• Collection at crime scene
• Shipment of evidence to lab
• Analyzed by forensic entomologist

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Scene Inspection

• Includes observing
• general habitat and surrounding area
• surrounding foliage and flora
• Sun and shade conditions
• Proximity to outdoors if scene is indoors
• All information should be noted
• Photos should be taken

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Weather Data Collection

• Ambient air temperature
• Maggot mass temperature
• Ground surface temperature
• Temperature between body and surface
• Temperature of soil underneath body
• Weather data from 1-2 weeks prior including
  rainfall and maximum and minimum temperatures

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Collection at Crime Scene Flies and Beetles

• Adult Flies and beetles move quick and disperse
  when disturbed
• Net regular insect netting
• Killing Jar cotton swabs soaked in ethyl
  acetate
• Ethyl Alcohol 75
• Label geographical location, date and hour of
  collection, case number, location to where body
  was moved, name of collector (in graphite pencil,
  placed inside vial. Second exterior label also
  necessary)

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Collection at Crime Scene Larvae

• Search for presence of eggs
• Collect largest larvae
• Collect representative sample of 50-60 larvae
• Place directly in killing solution or ethyl
  alcohol
• To preserve boil for 30 seconds within 48 hours
• Each Maggot mass is treated as separate sites

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Collection at Crime Scene Live Sample

• After collection of primary samples, duplicate
  samples for live shipment
• Place in specimen container
• Place beef liver or pork meat in moist
  environment
• Seal and create air holes

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Collection at the Crime Scene After Body Removal

• Collect preserved and living samples
• Collect soil samples
• Collect litter samples
• Collect 2-3 inches of top soil
• All samples placed in cardboard container for
  shipment

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Shipment

• All samples should be promptly shipped to
  forensic entomologist
• Overnight express using USPS (US Mail) or United
  Postal Service (UPS)
• Fed Ex and other services do not ship preserved
  or live insects

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Equipment and Tools

• Aerial insect nets18 wood handle12 diameter
• Vials4 dramscrew cap
• Forcepsfeather-touchthin flexible metal

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Books on Forensic Entomology

• Forensic Entomology Gennard, Dorothy E.
• Entomology and the Law Flies as Forensic
  Indicators Greenberg, Bernard
• Forensic Entomology Byrd, Jason H., Castner,
  James L.

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Sources

• Information
• http//www.forensic-entomology.com/
• http//www.clt.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/112507/fse07
  _forensic_entomology.pdf
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forensic_entomology
• http//research.missouri.edu/entomology/
• http//www.biologycorner.com/bio1/notes-arthropods
  .html
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliphoridae
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flesh_fly
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermestes
• http//www.skulltaxidermy.com/kits.html

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Sources Images

• http//www.evidentcrimescene.com/cata/kits/9200.jp
  g
• http//www.gonbi.com/Website/Images/sfax2010(2)04
  /3drywooddroppings.jpg
• http//husky1.smu.ca/dstrongman/GSWpigwork5Aug05.
  jpg
• http//entomology.lsu.edu/faculty/huang_files/huan
  gearworm.jpg
• http//www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/mutant_flies
  /yellow-fly.gif
• http//www.biologycorner.com/resources/arthropod_c
  hart.gif
• http//www.clt.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/112507/fse07
  _forensic_entomology.pdf
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageFly_liquidGhoul
  .jpg
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageAustralian_shee
  p_blowfly.jpghttp//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageS
  arcophagid_sal.jpg
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageHouseflies.jpg

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Sources Images

• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageAnthrenus_verba
  sci_1_28aka29.jpg
• http//www.nature.com/nature/journal/v405/n6784/im
  ages/405276ab.0.jpg
• http//agspsrv34.agric.wa.gov.au/ento/_fpclass/for
  ensic21.jpg
• http//www.owlnet.rice.edu/psyc351/Images/Fed20E
  x20Logo.jpg
• http//www.franchisepick.com/wp-content/uploads/20
  07/02/WindowsLiveWriter/IsUPSStoreaGoodFranchiseOp
  portunity_B7AD/UPS1505b35d1.jpg
• http//bimedia.ftp.clickability.com/wtmjwebftp/wea
  ther/7daya.jpg
• http//www.centralfloridaeffects.com/crime3.jpg
• http//www.a1services-wms.com/USERIMAGES/flies.jpg
  
• http//ipmworld.umn.edu/chapters/maize/Black20Cut
  worm20Larvae.jpg
• http//johnbokma.com/mexit/2006/07/04/ant-larvae-v
  arious-stages.jpg
• http//www.tonyboon.co.uk/aerogel/images/aerogel-s
  hipment-box.jpg