Editing Forensic entomology (section)

===Medico-legal===
Medico-legal forensic entomology involves the study of arthropods found at the scene of various incidents such as murder, suicide, rape, physical abuse and contraband trafficking.<ref name="Catts" /> Forensic investigators can learn important details from insect activities, including the length of time passed since death, the presence of medication or toxins in the body, and the movement or disturbance of the body following death. In murder investigations, forensic entomologists analyze which [[insect]]'s eggs appear, their location on human remains, and their development stage to determine the PMI and the location of death. The presence of specific insect species, which may exhibit [[endemism]] (occurring only in certain places) or a well-defined [[phenology]] (active only at a certain season, or time of day), in association with other evidence can provide crucial links to times and locations where other criminal acts may have occurred.<ref name="pmid28785513">{{cite journal | vauthors = Charabidze D, Gosselin M, Hedouin V | title = Use of necrophagous insects as evidence of cadaver relocation: myth or reality? | journal = PeerJ | volume = 5 | issue = | pages = e3506 | date = 2017 | pmid = 28785513 | pmc = 5543926 | doi = 10.7717/peerj.3506 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://eggheadblog.ucdavis.edu/?p=502 |title=Insects help convict killer |access-date=1 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820070919/http://eggheadblog.ucdavis.edu/?p=502 |archive-date=20 August 2007}}</ref> This discipline provides techniques to associate a victim, suspect and scene together by identifying different insect species found in specific geographical locations.<ref>{{cite web  | vauthors = Byrd JH |date=2022-03-15 | veditors = Denton JS | publisher = medscape |title=Forensic Entomology: Overview, Historical Information, Trends in Forensic Entomology |url=https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1780557-overview}}</ref>

Another area covered by medico-legal forensic entomology is the relatively new field of [[entomotoxicology]]. This particular branch involves testing entomological specimens found at a scene for different drugs that may have possibly played a role in the death of the victim. The analytical perspective behind these methods relies upon the fact that the presence of drugs within the carcass specifically effects the growth and morphology of the insects ingesting those toxins from the corpse.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Salimi M, Rassi Y, Chatrabgoun O, Kamali A, Oshaghi MA, Shiri-Ghaleh V, Moradi M, Rafizadeh S, Akbarzadeh K, Parkhideh SZ | title = Toxicological Analysis of Insects on the Corpse: A Valuable Source of Information in Forensic Investigations | journal = Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases | volume = 12 | issue = 3 | pages = 219–231 | date = September 2018 | pmid = 30584545 | pmc = 6297721 }}</ref> Due to these alterations, the presence of drugs can potentially lead to an erroneous PMI when basing it on the abnormal physical development of insects who have fed on them.<ref name="Introna_2001">{{cite journal | vauthors = Introna F, Campobasso CP, Goff ML | title = Entomotoxicology | journal = Forensic Science International | volume = 120 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 42–47 | date = August 2001 | pmid = 11457608 | doi = 10.1016/S0379-0738(01)00418-2 }}</ref>

Entomology can aid in medico-legal cases when determining the time of an injury. One determining factor might be the observed species' preference of alimentation. When eggs laid on a corpse by blow flies subsequently hatch into first instar (first stage larvae), they require a liquid protein meal.<ref name="Haglund_2002" /> Due to their minute size and fragility blowflies are unable to break through human skin themselves to attain this nutrition. Therefore, the female typically oviposits near a pre-existing wound or natural orifice to provide accessible blood, a mucosal layer and body fluids for her offspring to eat.