What is forensic 'entomology'?

What is forensic 'entomology'?

Richard Saferstein (Former Chief Forensic Scientist) gives expert video advice on: What is forensic 'pathology'?; What is forensic 'anthropology'?; What is forensic psychiatry? and more...

Forensic 'entomology' relates to the study of insects at crime scenes. Insects infest deceased bodies. The forensic entomologist brings his or her skills to bear by studying the presence of those insects and making the determination as to the time of death by looking at the life cycle of various insects, by studying the sequence of arrival of various insects, the post-mortem interval or the time between the finding of the insect. The time of death can be ascertained by the forensic entomologist.