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Articles » Entomology
Entomology: Insects Are Friends
Tina Chiu
What role can maggots, flies and spiders play in a criminal case? Actually they play a very important role. Forensic entomology is a relatively new field in the way of solving crime. Using insects to help prove criminal matters may sound somewhat absurd but their assistance is invaluable to the police. The stages of decomposition of a body are characterized by a particular group of insects. Depending on what insects are found on a body and what stage of development they are at, the police can accurately estimate how long a body has been dead and exposed to air.
In addition, insects that suck the blood of a person who has died from an overdosed can be examined and analyzed to find what type of drugs were used. The locations of the body when it was first exposed to air can also be determined due to the insects found on it. Certain insects reside in certain areas of the world and if the body was moved, this would only help forensic investigators learn the location where the crime actually took place.
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Dehghanpisheh, Babak,
Worms can turn in a murderer, Electronic Mail and Guardian, April 1, 1998
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