- Grading and Max Credits: Graduate Catalog Info ENY6706
ENY6706
Elective Course
Credits: 3
Wildlife Forensic Entomology is an overview of the use of insects in legal matters with an emphasis on their use in cases involving animals. The course covers the current state of the science; basic anatomy and physiology of insects and closely related arthropods; description of forensically important classes, orders, families, and species; the entomologist’s role at a crime scene; and the methods employed by entomologists in forensics.
Course Objectives:
- Recognize and identify forensically important arthropods
- Locate and evaluate published resources on forensically important arthropods
- Use publications to determine developmental rate of arthropods colonizing remains
- Calculate time of colonization estimations of animal remains using entomological evidence
- Write and evaluate entomological case reports
- Understand the strengths and limitations of forensic entomology
Topics:
- Module 1: Introduction to Forensic Entomology
- Module 2: Entomology and the Law
- Module 3: PMI, TOC, and Arthropods
- Module 4: Insect Anatomy
- Module 5: Siphonaptera, Phthiraptera, Blattaria, Hemiptera, Coleoptera
- Module 6: Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Acari, Ticks
- Module 7: Diptera, Calliphoridae, Calliphoridae species, Sarcophagidae
- Module 8: Muscidae, Tabanidae, Oestridae, Culicidae
- Module 9: Dichotomous key, Identification of arthropods, Diptera identification
- Module 10: Diptera larval identification, Coleoptera identification, Coleoptera larvae identification
- Module 11: Myiasis, Temperature and development, Succession, Decomposition
- Module 12: Factors influencing succession, Wrapped burned and hanged, Molecular methods, Gut content studies
- Module 13: Crime scene, Preserving and rearing insects, Temperature data, Data correction
- Module 14: Calculating ADD, ADD and PMI estimates, Working a crime scene, Reports
- Module 15: Amphibian and reptile decomposition, Entomotoxicology, Mites
- Module 16: Final Exam and Final Case