BIOL-3330 Lecture 1: Introduction

The study of insects and their role in forensic investigations, particularly in determining the timing and location of death.

A type of fly belonging to the family Calliphoridae, often used in forensic entomology.

Published guides or tools used to identify blow flies to species or genus.

A taxonomic rank below family and above species, used to classify organisms with similar characteristics.

The specific name given to a species, usually in Latin and written in italics.

The person or group who first described and named a species.

A set of rules and guidelines for naming and classifying animals.

A label used to record information about a specific fly specimen, including species identification.

The time that has elapsed since a person's death.

The study of how dead bodies interact with the environment and the organisms that decompose them.

Egg, larvae, pupae, and adults.

The larval stage of flies.

The optimal combination of traits that allows a species to thrive in a particular environment.

A situation where there is either an abundance or a scarcity of food.

The process of decay and decomposition of organic matter.

Dry, late stage of decay

The time at which insects first arrive and start to feed on a dead body.

The immature form of an insect, typically with a worm-like appearance.

The stage in an insect's life cycle between the larval and adult stages.

Factors that originate from within an organism or system.

• Late colonizers

• Distance to other nearest corpse

• Number of colonizers available

• Competition from other colonizers

Factors that originate from outside an organism or system.

• Moisture

• Sun vs Shade

• Species that arrive

• Distance to nearest corpse

• Commonness or rarity of other corpses

• Predators

• Parasites

• Disease

• Size of corpse

• Presence of drugs

• Food

• Health of the individual

• Amount and location of fat

• Exposure of interior organs and body cavity

• Access (submerged)

Flies that deposit eggs on decaying organic matter.

Sextant beetle. Order: Coleoptera, Family: Silphidae

Mites that feed on other insects. Class: Acarina, Family: Macrochelidae

The dead body of an animal.

A polysaccharide similar to cellulose, found in the exoskeleton of insects.

The outer protective layer of an insect's body.

external waxy coating of insects.

Small openings on an insect's body for breathing.

A type of metamorphosis where an insect undergoes complete transformation.

The three stages of immature (maggot) development.

The anterior part of an insect's body, containing sensory organs and mouthparts.

The middle part of an insect's body, where the legs and wings are attached.

The posterior part of an insect's body, containing the digestive and reproductive organs.

The sensory appendages on an insect's head.

Tools used to identify organisms based on a series of choices.