ABFM ABFM Forensic Entomology & Decomposition 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which insect order is considered the most forensically significant due to its early arrival at a decomposing body?
- Coleoptera
- Diptera (Correct answer)
- Hymenoptera
- Lepidoptera
Correct answer: Diptera
Diptera (flies), especially blowflies, are the first colonizers of a corpse and are central to estimating postmortem interval.
Question 2: The minimum postmortem interval (minPMI) in forensic entomology is estimated by examining which stage of insect development?
- Adult fly population size
- Age of the oldest insect present
- Age of the youngest insect present (Correct answer)
- Number of egg masses deposited
Correct answer: Age of the youngest insect present
The youngest (earliest stage) insect present gives the minimum time since colonization began, establishing the minPMI.
Question 3: Which blowfly species is most commonly used as a forensic indicator in the continental United States?
- Calliphora vicina
- Chrysomya rufifacies
- Lucilia sericata (Correct answer)
- Phormia regina
Correct answer: Lucilia sericata
Lucilia sericata (green bottle fly) is among the most commonly encountered and studied forensic indicator species in the US.
Question 4: What term describes the predictable sequence of insect species that colonize a corpse over time?
- Arthropod succession (Correct answer)
- Cadaver entomology
- Ecological cascade
- Forensic phenology
Correct answer: Arthropod succession
Arthropod succession refers to the predictable wave of different insect and arthropod species that colonize remains at successive stages of decomposition.
Question 5: Temperature directly affects the accuracy of PMI estimates in forensic entomology because it influences what?
- Adult fly lifespan
- Egg-laying behavior only
- Rate of insect larval development (Correct answer)
- Soil pH around the body
Correct answer: Rate of insect larval development
Insect larval development rates are temperature-dependent, so accumulated degree hours/days are used to estimate time of colonization.
Question 6: What is the term for the total heat energy required for an insect to complete a developmental stage, used to calculate PMI?
- Accumulated degree days (ADD) (Correct answer)
- Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
- Heat index value (HIV)
- Thermal neutral zone (TNZ)
Correct answer: Accumulated degree days (ADD)
Accumulated degree days (ADD) integrates temperature over time to predict insect development and estimate how long ago colonization occurred.
ABFM ABFM Forensic Entomology & Decomposition 1
Which insect order is considered the most forensically significant due to its early arrival at a decomposing body?