Insect Evidence in Legal Investigation

Insects are important agents in the biological breakdown of corpses and often provide valuable clues in criminal investigations. Forensic Entomology is the application of insect biology in legal investigation system. Insect evidence is particularly useful in establishing the time of death, specially where the postmortem interval is prolonged and the value of other methods is limited. This field of study has unfortunately not received much attention in Indian Forensic Science Laboratories. This article highlights the different strategies of entomological studies including the brief history and the procedural guide.