Use of necrophagous insects as evidence of cadaver relocation: myth or reality?

PeerJ

article

Damien Charabidze¹  Matthias Gosselin²  Valéry Hedouin¹ 

[1] CHU Lille;Research Institute of Biosciences, Laboratory of Zoology, UMONS – Université de Mons

关键词: Blow flies;    Larvae;    Forensic entomology;    Necrophagous;    Biotope;    Taphonomy;    Forensic pathology;    Crime scene investigation;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.3506

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

The use of insects as indicators of post-mortem displacement is discussed in many texts, courses and TV shows, and several studies addressing this issue have been published. Although the concept is widely cited, it is poorly understood, and only a few forensic cases have successfully applied such a method. The use of necrophagous insects as evidence of cadaver relocation actually involves a wide range of biological aspects. Distribution, microhabitat, phenology, behavioral ecology, and molecular analysis are among the research areas associated with this topic. This article provides the first review of the current knowledge and addresses the potential and limitations of different methods to evaluate their applicability. This work reveals numerous weaknesses and erroneous beliefs as well as many possibilities and research opportunities.

【 授权许可】

CC BY