Forensic Entomology

Question 1

Civil law

Answer 1

Action: joe vs john
lawyer: trial, defense
investigation: no police
wronged: plaintiff
Decision basis: preponderance of evidence
consequences: loss of money

Question 2

criminal law

Answer 2

Action: people vs john
lawyer: prosecutor, defense
investigation: police
wronged: the people
Decision basis: proof beyond a reasonable doubt
consequences: loss of money, status, freedom, life

Question 3

examples of bug infestation civil cases

Answer 3

food infestations, home infestations, maggot infestations (myiasis), bedbugs infestations

Question 4

examples of insect criminal cases

Answer 4

homicide and felony neglect

Question 5

3 classifications by fly lifestyle

Answer 5

obligate, facultative, accidental or pseudomyiasis

Question 6

obligate myiasis

Answer 6

requires living tissue, cannot survive without it

Question 7

facultative myiasis

Answer 7

doesn’t need but prefers carrion (decomposing flesh), necrotic tissue, or decomposing organic matter
-primary: initiates
-secondary: cant initiate
-tertiary: can initiate near host death

Question 8

accidental or pseudo myiasis

Answer 8

accidental maggot infestation

Question 9

myiasis location: dermal

Answer 9

skin

Question 10

myiasis location: nasopharyngeal

Answer 10

nasal passageway, eye sockets, or pharyngeal cavity

Question 11

myiasis location: aural

Answer 11

ear

Question 12

myiasis location: enteric

Answer 12

intestinal gastric system including rectum

Question 13

myiasis location: urinogenital

Answer 13

urinary system and sexual organs

Question 14

myiasis location: dental

Answer 14

mouth

Question 15

3 common culprits of myiasis

Answer 15

calliphoridae-blow flies (obligate and facultative)

sacrophagidae-flesh flies (mostly obligate, some facultative and accidental)

Oestridae-bot and warble flies (all obligate)

Question 16

Common victims of myiasis

Answer 16

elderly, children and infants, animals, people living in rural areas with limited access to healthcare, can happen to anyone

Question 17

myiasis treatment

Answer 17

debridement-medical removal
maggot therapy
antibiotic seraticin

Question 18

voltanism

Answer 18

of generations an org produces in a year

Question 19

how to determine PMI?

Answer 19

-basic understanding of life history and developmental biology
-voltanism
-life cycle
-duration of stages
-life span
-development as a function of temperature

Question 20

growth curve from temp

Answer 20

rate increases as temp increases but diminishes at high temp

Question 21

faunal successions

Answer 21

patterns of change in orgs present through time

Question 22

trophic levels of carrion community

Answer 22

1. carrion resource
2. necrophagous species
3. omnivores
4. predators

Question 23

order of succession for Putrefaction (body swollen by gases, days 1-10)

Answer 23

Blowfly larvae
Staphylinidae
Histeridae
Gamasid mites
Ptomaphilia
Trichopterygidae
Piophilid Larvae
Parasitic wasps

Question 24

order of succession for Black putrefaction (flat flesh creamy, 11-20 days)

Answer 24

Larvae
-Staphylinid
-Trichopterygid
-Histerid
-Ptomaphilia

Dermestes
Tyroglyphid mites
Tineid Larvae
Dermestes larvae

Question 25

Key taxa - early arrivals

Answer 25

Calliphoridae, Staphylinidae, Sacrophagidae, Silphidae

Question 26

Key Taxa - late arrivals

Answer 26

Tineid larvae, dermestidae, acarina