Why Forensic entomologist is a challenging job in science?

When a murder takes place, it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the time and place of death. Many times, the body is decomposed and maggots have invaded it. This is where the forensic entomologist comes in. The maggots are the larvae of the blowfly, which particularly favours rotting corpses as an ideal place to lay its eggs.

By looking at the stages of the larvae’s life cycle in the body, the forensic entomologist can estimate the time of death! Neil Haskell, the USA’s leading forensic entomologist, is co-writing the first book on the subject. Recently, he enclosed 17 dead pigs in plastic bags to help him solve a murder. He wanted to find out in what order flies usually lay their eggs in bagged corpses!

 

Picture Credit : Google