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Forensic entomology. Bugs!. Entomology Vocabulary. Pupa/ pupal stage – non-feeding life stage where they are transforming from larvae to adult Nymph – a juvenile form; a step up from larva, but a step below adult; many nymph forms resemble adult forms
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Forensic entomology Bugs!
Entomology Vocabulary • Pupa/pupal stage – non-feeding life stage where they are transforming from larvae to adult • Nymph – a juvenile form; a step up from larva, but a step below adult; many nymph forms resemble adult forms • Adult – life stage when the bug can reproduce • Larva – the immature form of the insect • Larvae – plural form
Omnivorous insects such as ants and wasps that may feed on the body itself, other insects, or surrounding vegetation • Indigenous insects, and/or spiders, may be present, but their presence is usually coincidental to the location of the body
The timeframe for lifecycle development is influenced by environmental conditions such as • Climate • Weather • Geographical location • Drugs or toxins present in the body
What is it? • The study and use of insects to solve criminal & civil investigations • 3 general categories: • Medicolegal • Urban Pest • Stored Product Pests
Medicolegal • Generally deals with the necrophagous (carrion) feeding insects • Study what insects lays eggs when & where • Looks at the order of succession in the dead body • Faunal Succession • Examples: blow flies & beetles
Faunal Succession • Flies (order: diptera) are generally first because they like the moist corpse for the maggot to feed on • Next up are the beetles (order: coleoptera), they like the area little bit more dry than most flies • Mites, Moths, Wasps, Ants & Bees • Different species show up at different times and may indicate different things • Example: Certain types of beetles carry a species of mite that eats fly larvae; if the beetle gets to the body first, any fly larvae that hatch will be eaten by the mites, possibly giving a wrong PMI (post mortem interval) otherwise known as Time of Death
Urban Pests Stored Product Pests • Generally deals with insects that affect Man and his immediate environment • Insects can feed off the living or the dead • Urban pests are a huge economic concern, so entomologists may get involved in cases dealing with monetary damages • The bugs normally found in foodstuffs • Examples: • Ants, beetles, roaches