Forensic entomology

Forensic entomology is a branch of applied entomology that uses insects and other arthropods as a basis for legal evidence. Insects may be found on cadavers or elsewhere around crime scenes in the interest of forensic science. Forensic entomology is also used in cases of neglect and abuse of a property, as well as subjects of a toxicology analysis to detect drugs and incidents of food contamination. Therefore, forensic entomology is divided into three subfields: medico-legal/medico-criminal entomology, urban, and stored-product.

The field revolves around studying the types of insects commonly found in and on the place of interest (such as cadavers), their life cycles, their presence in different environments, and how insect assemblages change with the progression of decomposition (the process of "succession"). Insect assemblages can help approximate a body's primary location, as some insects are unique to specific areas. In medico-criminal cases, the primary goal is often to determine the postmortem interval (PMI; time since death) to aid in death investigations.

Insect succession patterns are identified based on the time a species spends in each developmental stage and the number of generations produced since the insect's introduction to a food source. By analyzing insect development alongside environmental data such as temperature, humidity, and vapor density, forensic entomologists can estimate the time since death, as flying insects are attracted to a body shortly after death. This field also provides clues about antemortem trauma and the displacement of a body after death.