The use of blowflies in forensic entomology to determine approximate Essay

The use of blowflies in forensic entomology to determine approximate time of death - Essay Example The life cycle of insects encompasses four discrete stages (Amendt, Campobasso, Gaudry, Reiter, LeBlanc & Hall, 2007). Despite the effectiveness of forensic entomology in determining the time of death, only less than one percent of homicide cases are resolves using forensic entomology. However, forensic entomology can be utilized in a broad area of forensic science, for instance to ascertain whether the corpse was moved posthumously and the accurate time of death. This paper will assess the determination of time of death through the use of blowflies in forensic entomology. In blowflies, the initial life cycle stage encompasses eggs, which hatch into maggots or larvae in the second stage. At the larvae stage, the anterior end of blowflies has a pair of sharp digging hooks, which are used for both feeding and movement. The posterior end of larvae consists of the insect’s respiratory system that ensures that maggots receive sufficient oxygen as they rummage through the corpse (Go ff, 2000). Typically, as soon as blowflies’ maggots attain their full size, they stop feeding and start moving into drier regions of the surrounding, often into the soil. During the third stage of development, blowfly maggots develop into pupae; during this stage, the outer skin of the insect hardens, forming a tough protective casing around the insect. In a week’s time, the pupa goes through metamorphosis, emerging from the shell in the form of an adult blowfly to mark the concluding stage of the insect’s life cycle (Amendt, Campobasso, Gaudry, Reiter, LeBlanc & Hall, 2007). Insects such as blowflies can serve as an easy tool of ascertaining the unknown, especially with regards to the time of death. For instance, when a coroner seeks to find out the time of death of a corpse, the entomologist only has to examine the blowflies around the corpse and report details. However, it is hardly this easy since investigators take into account a number of variables, includ ing the temperature of the immediate region in order to ascertain the speed of larvae growth in a corpse. For instance, when someone is killed during summer and left outside for a number of days, the ambient temperature neighbouring the corpse changes dramatically. Different types of blowflies develop speedily in warm weather; however, the development rate diminishes when temperatures drop (Greenberg & Kunich, 2002). Blowflies discovered on a corpse that has been outside for several weeks or months are indicative of drastic variations in the growth cycles of the insects. Therefore, entomologists must carefully assess the available specimens in order to determine a probable range of times of death. The use of insects to solve crimes in forensic entomology dates back to the 13th century when investigators found the murderer of a rice field worker by examining the trend of blowflies, which flocked to the murderer’s sickle after being attracted by the smell of blood. Ultimately, the murderer confessed to the crime (Goff, 2000). Today, forensic entomologists use post-mortem interval or PMI in order to ascertain the total quantity of time that has lapsed since death. The development and age of the maggot, as well as the utilization of successive insect waves, provides a succinct determination of the duration of the interval between the time of death and the time the corpse was discovered. As soon as a person dies, the first creatures to