CSI: Crime Solving Insects



The activities are as follows:

Most people think that maggots (larvae of blow flies) are gross, but they are important decomposers in many ecosystems. Without maggots, we would all trip over dead bodies every time we went outside! Not only do maggots break down dead animal bodies in nature, but they decompose human bodies as well!

Forensic entomology uses these amazing insects to help the criminal justice system. Remember the next time you swat away a fly, these little insects help police solve crimes! Adult blow flies are usually the first to arrive at a crime scene with a dead body. The blow flies oviposit, or lay their eggs, shortly after their arrival. These eggs hatch and become maggots that feed on the body. Scientists can use the age of the maggot to help estimate how long someone has been dead. The longer a body has been dead, the longer ago the eggs hatched and the older the maggot larvae will be.

Kristi and Paula, two forensic entomologists, were in the field on day, documenting the timing of blow fly oviposition. They noticed something unexpected! There were wasps stuck in the traps they were using to catch blow flies. The scientists wondered if these wasps would affect a blow fly’s decision to oviposit. Wasps will attack adult blow flies and will also eat their eggs. Blow flies have an incredible sense of smell and sight. Blow flies may be able to use their senses to detect if a wasp is near a body. If a wasp is detected, blow flies could choose to avoid the area or delay laying their eggs. The scientists predicted that blow flies would delay their oviposition when wasps were present near a body. If wasps cause blow flies to delay oviposition, this could change how scientist’s use maggot age to determine how long ago a body died.




Featured scientists: Kristi Bugajski and Paula Stoller from Valparaiso University

Flesch–Kincaid Reading Grade Level = 7.6




  1. Karen Wampuszyc says:



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