Forensics Amir Gilbert

Name _____________________________
Entomology Virtual Lab

Directions: Use the Entomology Virtual Lab PDF file to help answer the lab questions and determine TOD.

1. List the equipment you will use to collect data and evidence vital to the investigation.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS, briefly summarize what each piece of equipment is used for.

Equipment Name Equipment Use

Trowel Digs up soil samples

Thermometer Take temperatures of air and maggot mass

Hand Net Collecting flying insects

Secure Ventilated Jars Separate larvae and living specimen
Capped specimen jar Preserve specimen to "stop" their biological clock.
Forceps Collects insects
Portable Weather Station Gather weather information for 5-7 days to find a pattern

2. Looking at the 9 insect species collected from the crime scene, are there any that can automatically be
ruled out as having no connection to the investigation? If so, which insect(s)? Explain your reasoning.
The scorpion because it is using the body for shelter, the black widow because it is looking for
food.

3. Looking at the remaining insects that do play a role in the TOD investigation, estimate how long they have
been at the scene of the crime and then put the insects in order by the earliest arrival to the latest.

Insect Specimen/Identity Arrival Time at Body

Earliest Arrival Adult flies Unknown

↓↓↓ fly eggs first two hours
↓↓↓ Beetle a day and a half after maggots hatch

↓↓↓ Large maggots four days

↓↓↓ (Blowfly) small maggots nine days
↓↓↓ empty fly pupa 15 days
Latest Arrival flies with crumpled wings 16 days
4. Using all of the data collected, can you estimate the TOD as: 4 days, 9 days, 16 days, 27 days, or unable to
determine. Explain your reasoning and mention which specific data helped you reach this conclusion.

Claim-The TOD is 16 days because Adult flies probably arrived first and then laid eggs.
Evidence- The beetle arrived to prey on the larvae and then the large maggots form. The
blowfly maggots come at day nine. The empty fly pupa is found at day 15. The flies with
crumpled wings is developed on day 16.
Reason- The crumpled wing flies indicates that the body has been there for 16 days.