An entomological study to determine the time since death in cases of decomposed bodies.

ABSTRACT

Forensic entomology is the application of knowledge of insects during investigation of crimes or other legal matters. For investigation of crime, it is very important to determine time since death, which is easy to determine in the early post-mortem period, but poses a problem in the late stages. In this study an effort has been made to determine post-mortem interval in the late stages (decomposed bodies) by studying insect evidence. Insect evidence in the form of blow flies in their different stage of development was found on fresh and decaying corpses. Beetles were found on skeletonised bodies. Since the arthropods are poikilothermic and their development period gets influenced by ambient temperature therefore a record of prevailing temperature was maintained for the set period. Average temperature and humidity was calculated from the meteorological department at Raja Sansi Airport, Amritsar, from the day of recovery of body to rearing up of insects to adult stage. Identification of insects was carried out in collaboration with Zoology Department of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.