Entomotoxicology

Entomotoxicology is the analysis of toxins in arthropods (mainly flies and beetles) that feed on corpse. Forensic entomology is the use of insects in legal matters. Knowledge of the distribution, biology, ecology and behavior of insects found at crime scene can provide information on when, where and how the crime was committed. Forensic entomotoxicology studies the usefulness of insects as alternative toxicological samples. Use of insects as alternative matrix for drug detection is well documented and recommended when conventional matrices such as blood, urine or internal organs are no longer available. The accuracy of entomological estimates in deaths involving narcotic intoxication has been subject to debate in recent years as few available studies have explored the effects of drugs contained in decomposing tissues on fly colonization and ovipositional behavior, or on the rates of development of carrion-frequenting insects feeding on such food sources. The major lacunae in this field is the effect toxins and contaminants have on the development of immature insects feeding on the corpse containing these substances and studies have to be conducted in this grey area.