Insects, the word usually brings up images of strange, creepy pests. Are all insects just useless nuisances? The answer is no, they can be really helpful to forensics investigators in determining the time and place of death of the bodies found in crimes such as murder, rape, etc. They can also reveal whether or not the corpse had been moved after the person has died. 

     When an individual dies, not all of their cells, muscles, and tissues stop functioning. Some cease at later times, all eventually die off, and then the body slowly begins to decompose. Smells of decaying flesh attract insects to the body; usually blowflies get attracted. Blowflies are any members of the insect family Calliphoridae, and of metallic blue, green or bronze in color and noisy in flight. Common examples are screwworms, bluebottle flies, greenbottle flies and cluster flies. These insects are known to eat dead flesh and sometimes even living tissue. Females deposit about 200-400 eggs near exposed wounds or into natural openings such as the nose, eyes, ears or private areas. The eggs develop into larvae that dig their way into the flesh until they mature and drop to the ground and pupate. 

     So, why is knowing the stages of the blow flies life cycle important? Simply because it is the key to figuring out the time of death of a person. This is where the forensic investigators come in. Upon discovering a body in a criminal case, an efficient investigator will examine the body for these insects. After close observation, the investigator should be able to determine the age of the residing flies (or any other insect they may find). Using their knowledge of the insect's life cycle and the fact that they arrive at after the body decomposes, they should be able to approximate the time of death of the individual. 

     Also, over time different insects are likely to appear. Being that the body goes through many different transitions as it decays. Insects that find the current condition hospitable are likely to make a home there. Judging from the variety of insects, dead or alive found in the body, a more specific time of death can be assumed. 

     Many of the insects reside in different areas of the world. If a body had been situated somewhere long enough to decompose, then surely it would pick up the insects of that particular place. Therefore, the location where someone died can be deduced from the types of insects that are found in the body.

     The species found can also help determine whether or not the body had been moved. If for example an insect only found in a certain state is discovered in the body, then an assumption that the original place of death was in that state can be made. Similarly, if an insect, which only lives in a dry area, is found in a body discovered in a lake, then it can be assumed that the person had died on land. Therefore, the type of insect found can be very important.

     Concluding, one should never assume that any organism is not important in this world. Due to the existing cycles between the different living species, it can be said each contributes something crucial in making the world turn. Therefore, next time you kill an insect, perhaps you should think about what you really are killing.