Forensic entomology is the study of insects and other arthropods in legal matters. A forensic entomologist will use insects to determine cause of death, drugs used and location of a crime. Forensic entomology can also help detect abuse in children. The broad field of forensic entomology is dived into three branches: medico-legal, urban and stored product pests.

Medico-legal entomology focuses on the insects that normally infest human remains. This field has both criminal and civil attributes as these types of insect feed on the living and the dead. Urban forensic entomology deals with infestations of buildings or gardens likely leading to civil proceedings. Stored product insect forensic entomology deals with criminal and civil proceedings that often are used in litigation of contaminated foods by insects.

History

• Francesco Redi: A biography of entomologist, Francesco Redi.
• Father of Forensic Medicine: A brief biography of the forensic specialist Song Ci.
• Famous Entomologists: A description of famous entomologist and their accomplishments in the field.
• Brief History: A concise, but in-depth history of forensic entomology.

Subfields

• Forensic Entomology Careers: Shows the different career options of forensic entomologist plus the various subfields.
• Urban Entomology: This page is dedicated to the branch of urban entomology using the black footed spider has an example.
• Medicocriminal Entomology: Explains the capacity of medicocriminal entomology.
• Pests of Stored Food Products: Chapter seven of Walter Ebelings book focusing on pests of stored food products in urban entomology.

Insect Types

• Stored Product Pests: Entomologist Lee Townsend describes store product pests in the pantry.
• House Flies: Houseflies factsheet.
• Insects and Entomology: A large list of insects and identifications sheets.
• Beetles: An in-depth entomology research documentation on the Asian longhorned beetle.
• Carpenter Bees: Entomology carpenter bee notes.
• Wasp & Bee: Insect Identification of 11 wasp and bees.

Modern Techniques

• Scanning Electron Microscope: Provides an animated video showing how the microscope works.
• Scanning Electron Microscopy: The article shows how the microscope is used in preserving evidence.
• DNA Based Techniques: A report on DNA based identification techniques.
• Molecular Genetic and Biochemical Methods: A review of techniques used by Florida entomologists.

Case Studies

• Insect Phobia: A case study investigating insect phobia.
• Moth Study: Entomologist Kevin Daily discovers that insects are not primarily ruled by instinct.
• Crime Scene Creatures: Case files of creatures in criminal investigations.
• Insects: Annamaria Lecesse provides research statistics and case study findings on insects and the human corpse.

General Resources

• Forensic Biology: Defines forensic entomology and entomologist duties.
• Interacting with Entomologist: A site for helping police officers and homicide investigators build skills for interacting with entomologists.
• Insects in Legal Investigations: A brief introduction to forensic entomology.
• North American Forensic Entomology Association: Six aims and goals of the association that encourages advancement of forensic entomology.
• Insects as Witnesses: Shows how insects can hold vital evidence.
• On Maggots and Murders: The Natural History Museum provides information provided by forensic entomologist Martin Hall that shows how insects offer clues to murders.