Forensic Entomology: Beyond the Bounds of Possibility

Dear Colleagues,

The largest group of macro-decomposers in both terrestrial and aquatic environments are the arthropods. On land, these are mainly flies and beetles, but also mites and isopods. In freshwater, they are mainly insect larvae, while in the marine environment, crustaceans represent the major necro-taxa. In the terrestrial environment, we have a significant understanding of insect behavior, mating systems, population genetics, ecology, and developmental biology, whereas in the aquatic environment, we have far less knowledge of decomposition and colonization processes driven by arthropods. Forensic entomology is the application of knowledge about arthropods for crime scene reconstruction, especially to estimate a time since death interval. The application of new technologies to forensic entomology to enhance estimates of the time of death includes methodologies belonging to chemistry (e.g., entomotoxicology for drug identification and insect development), molecular biology (DNA for taxonomy and host identification from gut content), and physics (e.g., CT scanning, hyperspectral and infrared imaging for determining age and discovery). Therefore, in this Special Issue, we would like to express how we can integrate new technologies in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. The way forward will be to adapt a multitude of scientific disciplines within forensic entomology to reduce the social impact of crime.

Prof. Dr. Ian R. Dadour
Dr. Paola A. Magni
Guest Editors

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