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Forensic entomology application in China:Four case reports

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DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2019.03.001

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 Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 63 (2019) 40–47

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/yjflm

Clinical practice

Forensic entomology application in China: Four case reports T

a,1 a,b,1 a c d e a
Man Wang , Jun Chu , Yu Wang , Fagui Li , Mingqing Liao , He Shi , Yingna Zhang ,
Guoliang Hua, Jiangfeng Wanga,∗
a
Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou, China
b
Criminal Police Branch, Suzhou Public Security Bureau, Renmin Road, Suzhou, China
c
Forensic Center, Department of Public Security of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Xinmin Road, Nanning, China
d
Criminal Police Branch, Zhongshan Public Security Bureau, Zhongshan, China
e
Criminal Police Branch, Guangzhou Public Security Bureau, Guangzhou, China

A R T I C LE I N FO A B S T R A C T

Keywords: We present four cases that use entomological data to estimate postmortem interval (PMI). In the first case, the
Forensic science body was found in an outdoor environment at 26 °C and was at the fresh stage. However, the PMImin estimated
Forensic entomology using maggots collected from the corpse was more than 68 h. This was certainly an incorrect estimation because
Postmortem interval the degree of the body decomposition was light, and it may have been caused by flies invading the corpse before
Entomotoxicology
death occurred. In the second case, a corpse of an adult male was found in a semi-closed room, and the body was
Case report
highly decomposed and mummified. In this case, we used Dermestes maculatus DeGeer (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)
to successfully estimate the PMI. The third case involved a female body discovered in her room after she
committed suicide by consuming excessive clozapine and alcohol. The PMImin estimated through entomological
data did not match the time of death that the other evidence indicated. Thus, we speculated that clozapine and
alcohol may have influenced the development of fly larvae. The fourth case occurred in the winter. The murderer
killed the victim and burned and dumped the corpse. However, the burned body still attracted necrophagous
insects and we successfully calculated the PMImin by using insect evidence.

1. Introduction
Determining the time of death is extremely valuable in criminal
investigations as this information can help identify the victim and in-
dividual or individuals responsible for the victim's death.1 Forensic
pathologists estimate time of death using post-death conditions of the
body such as livor mortis, algor mortis and rigor mortis; however, these
methods are only applicable during the first 48–72 h after death.2 After
48–72 h, techniques associated with forensic medicine become less
accurate or even unhelpful. Newer methods to estimate postmortem
interval (PMI) have been developed to improve precision and accuracy
of time of death estimation, including detecting the degradation of RNA
in tissue3 and measuring concentrations of substances in the vitreous
humor.4 Moreover, there is an increasing number of chemical methods
for estimating PMI.5 However, many of these methods are not widely
used because they are not particularly precise and do not give an im-
mediate result.5
Forensic entomology uses succession and developmental data of
necrophagous insects to estimate PMI in crime investigations, and is an
important branch of forensic science.6 Succession data can reflect the
time range that the body was exposed, whereas development data can
be used to estimate the time period that the body was colonized by
insects. Amendt et al.7 proposed that it is crucial for investigators to be
aware that the period of insect activity (PIA), defined as the time from
arthropod colonization until discovery of the remains, does not always
correspond to PMI. Most recently, the period estimated by development
data has been refined to a minimum postmortem interval (PMImin),
which represents the portion of the total PMI from the time of insect
colonization until the discovery of the oldest immature insects on the
corpse.8
For nearly 40 years, forensic entomology has made great progress,
and many professional organizations have been established, such as
North American Forensic Entomology Association (NAFEA), American
Board of Forensic Entomology (ABFE) and European Association for
Forensic Entomology (EAFE). Monographs and textbooks on forensic
entomology also have been published,9–15 further increasing the
awareness of this subject and building a solid foundation for future
research. In addition, EAFE has developed a protocol for best practice in

∗
Corresponding author. Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou, 215000, China.
E-mail address: jfwang@suda.edu.cn (J. Wang).
1
First two authors are contributed equally to the study.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2019.03.001
Received 11 April 2018; Received in revised form 21 February 2019; Accepted 3 March 2019
Available online 05 March 2019
1752-928X/ © 2019 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.
M. Wang, et al.
Fig. 1. Scene of death in case 1.
forensic entomology to optimally use techniques in forensic entomology
and increase competency among professionals, including pathologists,
entomologists and police officers.7
Case reports are quite valuable since forensic entomology is con-
stantly evolving and broadening with its application. At the end of the
last century, numerous classical case studies were reported, indicating
the effectiveness and applicability of forensic entomology. Smith sys-
tematically reported 19 cases for the first time.9 Goff et al. presented
case studies where the PMI was estimated by comparing arthropod
succession patterns determined from baseline decomposition stu-
dies.16,17 He also presented a case where the PMI was estimated using
the developmental time of Hermetia illucens and Anoplepsis longipes,
covering PMI of up to 18 months. More recently, Deikersschieter et al.18
summarized 132 forensic entomological investigations of Dr. Leclercq
in Belgium and France over a period of 36 years. Vanin & Gherardi19
reviewed 200 forensic cases that involved insects from Northern Italy.
Sukontason et al.20 presented 30 cases of cadavers from 2000 to 2006,
where variable death scenes were investigated, including forest, sub-
urban, urban outdoor and urban indoor environments. Taken together,
these reviews demonstrate that entomological evidence can be used on
human corpses found in various areas across the world, demonstrating
its wide range of applications for criminal investigations.
China has a long history of using insects as evidence in criminal
investigations15 and the first documented forensic entomology case is
reported by the Chinese lawyer and death investigator Sung Tz'u in the
medico-legal text book Washing Away of Wrongs.21 However, modern
forensic entomology using Western methods were only incorporated in
the 1990s. Since then, China has made great strides in the field of
forensic entomology, most prominently in developmental biology,
succession and entomotoxicology in case applications.15 Here, we pre-
sent four cases that occurred in Southern China, which has a subtropical
monsoon climate. These cases cover a diverse range of cause of death,
composition conditions and the type of insect evidence used.
2. Methods and materials
All insect specimens were collected according to the method de-
scribed by Amendt et al.7 Larvae were killed with very hot water and
preserved in 75% ethanol solution. Adults were killed in a jar with ethyl
acetate and preserved in 75% ethanol solution. For outdoor collections,
41
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 63 (2019) 40–47
samples were collected from the corpse, and the ground and under-
ground areas surrounding the corpse. For indoor collections, we made
an effort to collect all insect evidence available, including that from
other rooms in the building.7 Insect species were identified using
identification keys from Fan22 and Zhang et al.23 We also had a detailed
record on the decomposition condition of the corpse. All entomological
evidence will be preserved permanently in our laboratory. The cor-
rected crime scene temperatures were calculated using a linear re-
gression between the temperature measured at the crime scene using an
electronic thermohygrometer (ZDR-20, Hangzhou Zheda instruments
Co. Ltd., China) and the temperature provided by the nearest weather
station. The weather stations were Nanning Meteorological Service for
case 1, Guangzhou Meteorological Service for case 2, Guangdong Me-
teorological Service for case 3, and Zhongshan Meteorological Service
for case 4.
3. Result & discussion
3.1. Case 1
On May 21, 2015, a man's body was found next to a pond in a
suburban area of the city of Guangxi Province in Southern China. The
corpse was lying on his left side in a crouched position. The head was at
the pond's edge, and his face was covered with his right hand. The
decedent was wearing a pair of jeans, and the upper body was naked.
Except for large areas of brown discoloration on the napex and
shoulder, there were no obvious signs of putrefaction (Fig. 1b). The
autopsy found a 10 × 8 cm soft tissue defect on the frontal-parietal
portion of the head, and the skull was exposed and had fracture lines
(Fig. 1c). There were several insect egg masses on the corpse's right
cheek and right hand (Fig. 1a). In addition, the head was extensively
colonized with maggots that were at different stages of development
(Fig. 1d). According to the nearest weather station, the corrected
temperatures averaged 26 °C over the previous week.
3.1.1. Entomological evidence and PMI estimation
Crime scene investigators collected about 30 maggots from the
head, and sent the samples to the Forensic Entomological Laboratory of
Soochow University. According to the identification key of Fan,22 the
samples were identified as third instar of Chrysomya megacephala
M. Wang, et al.
Fabricius and Chrysomya rufifacies Macquart. At 26 °C, the third instar
of C. megacephala and C. rufifacies require 68 and 43 h24,25 to develop,
respectively. Therefore the entomological data indicated that C. mega-
cephala colonized the corpse at least 68 h before the corpse was found,
making the minimum postmortem interval (PMImin) 68 h.
However, there was an inconsistency between the PMI estimated by
entomological evidence and the estimate of the forensic pathologist.
The pathologist determined that the corpse was in the fresh stage, based
on the light decomposition and lack of bloating. For a terrestrial en-
vironment with average temperature of 26 °C, the PMI should be within
48 h.26 By interviewing locals, the investigators learned that the victim
was mentally handicapped. Seven days previously, the decedent was
seen alive with a head injury near the crime scene. Therefore, in-
vestigators concluded that the man may not have been capable of
getting medical treatment after injury due to dysgnosia, and eventually
he fell at the crime scene because of excessive bleeding from the head
wound. Blow flies were likely attracted by the smell of blood and laid
eggs at the wound as the man was comatose, but alive, and unable to
prevent the flies from laying eggs. We suspect he died after some time
due to the head injury or other complications, making this a case where
the first wave of colonizers arrived at the corpse prior to death.
Therefore, the PMI estimate based on forensic pathology did not agree
with the PMI estimated from entomological evidence.
Carrion insects are not always attracted to a dead body. Myiasis is
defined as the infestation of livings animals by fly larvae.27 If an ani-
mal's wound is left untreated, the neglect results in the accumulation of
urine and feces,28,29 and the developing odour can attract flies.30
Myiasis in humans tends to occur in neglected very old or young in-
dividuals and those unable to care of themselves and living in un-
hygienic conditions.31–33 Myiasis on humans and animals in terms of
forensic entomology is evident in at least two realms: (i) insect in-
festation of a human or domesticated animal implies possible criminal
negligence and/or abuse, and (ii) development of necrophagous flies
antemortem complicates estimations of PMI if death ensues following
myiasis, regardless of the cause of death.34 Although this situation is
extremely rare, if a person was infested before death, the entomological
information can overestimate the PMI.35 Benecke et al.32,33 present
three case studies in which forensic entomology helped to better un-
derstand the circumstances of death, and the type of neglect before
death. Bonacci et al.36 also reported a forensic entomological case of a
neglected elderly man, in which insect evidence was used as indicators
to estimate the neglect interval. In addition, previous studies have re-
ported the colonization of unconscious or even sleeping persons by
blowflies,33 one example of which was a collection of second instar of
the fly C. megacephala from the diapers of a 16-month-old abandoned
child.33 Vanin et al.37 reported a case of insect colonization before the
death, emphasizing the importance of close collaboration between the
forensic pathologist and forensic entomologist and a careful analysis of
all possible variables to investigative the time since death. The case we
described above presents a similar situation where the blow flies co-
lonized the victim before death. Taken together, if the dead person may
have been in a coma or could not take care of him or herself, forensic
entomologists should consider whether it is possible that the insect
invaded the body before death.
3.2. Case 2
On October 25, 2017, an adult male was found dead in a temporary
semi-closed shelter under a viaduct in Guangzhou, Guangdong
Province. The room had no doors or windows but was sheltered from
rain. The corpse was lying on a couch, covered with a thick cotton quilt
(Fig. 2a). The head and part of his left arm were exposed and the right
lower limb was lying on the ground and wrapped in a towel (Fig. 2d).
Under the covers, the body was naked and most of the soft tissues were
mummified (Fig. 2b). An autopsy revealed that the body had irregularly
shaped skull defects on the left tempus, and the cause of death was
42
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 63 (2019) 40–47
brain injury (Fig. 2c). According to the temperature data provided by
the nearest weather station, the corrected temperatures average was
26.6 °C for one month period before the discovery.
3.2.1. Entomological evidence and PMI estimation
Insect evidence was collected and sent to Forensic Entomological
Laboratory of Soochow University (Fig. 2c, d, e, f). Using the identifi-
cation keys of Fan22 and Zhang et al.,23 samples were identified as
larvae and empty puparia of Chrysomya nigripes Aubertin (Diptera,
Calliphoridae); empty puparia of C. megacephala (Diptera, Calliphor-
idae); adults of the Necrobia rufipes De Geer and Necrobia ruficollis
Fabricius (Coleoptera, Cleridae); larvae and adults of D. maculatus De
Geer (Coleoptera, Dermestidae). The developmental data of C. mega-
cephala24 and C. nigripes38 at 26 °C indicate that the entire develop-
mental time from egg to adult are 280 h and 327 h respectively. The
oldest samples of D. maculatus larvae were on average 11 mm long.
According to the study of Zanetti et al.,39 and the relationship between
the length and instar, and instar and development time,39 we estimated
that samples of D. maculatus were between 3rd and 4th instar and
larvae were estimated to be 15.2–15.9 days of age at 26.6 °C. Our
previous research at this location and time of year found that D. ma-
culatus adults commonly arrived at corpses eight days after death,40
therefore we estimated the PMI to be approximately 23.2–23.9 days.
When the case was solved, we learned that the actual PMI was 25 days,
which is close to our estimation.
Beetles are especially useful in forensic cases where Diptera have
already left the body and only beetles can be found.41 Dermestes ma-
culatus is the dominant insect species associated with later stages of
decomposition.42 The succession pattern of D. maculates is stage spe-
cific, and it is particularly helpful in estimating the PMI of badly de-
composed bodies.43 In case 2 of our study, the flies had already com-
pleted the development from egg to adult, and there were only empty
puparia at the scene. Instead, we used D. maculates larvae to estimate
the PMI. Dermestes maculatus is a necrophagous insect that colonizes
skeletonized and mummified remains.44 In this case, the scene was a
semi-closed indoor environment that was sheltered from the rain but
not wind, resulting in the corpse to dehydrate rapidly and become
mummified. A dry corpse in this type of environment would be ideal for
D. maculatus to colonize and reproduce. In order to reliably estimate
PMI using entomological methods, it is necessary to have local data on
insect succession on corpses,7 as the sequence of species on a corpse
differs among the region and local climate.45 In this case, we were able
to estimate the time of colonization by D. maculates based on our pre-
vious research at this location and time of year, which certainly reduced
the chance of error.
In the study for D. maculates, Zanetti et al.39 observed that there is
no correlation between morphometric parameters and temperature,
suggesting that the isomegalen diagrams cannot be used for calculating
PMImin. Instead, when using D. maculates to estimate the PMImin, the
calculation process involves two steps: (i) inferring the instar of the
oldest samples based on the length-instar relationship, and (ii) deducing
the age of these samples based on the relationship between instar and
developmental time, which can increase the error rate. Larval devel-
opment accounts for 65–75% of the total duration of development of D.
maculatus,46 and this species may molt 5–11 times before pupation.47 In
addition to the length of the body, other parameters that can be useful
for determining the instar of larvae include distance between dorsal
stemmata, width of the pronotum, width of the mesonotum, width of
the eighth abdominal tergite and length of the first segment of the ur-
ogomphus.48 Similar research on D. maculatus should be done in order
to improve the accuracy estimating D. maculatus larvae.
3.3. Case 3
On 28 May 2011, an anonymous complaint of a foul odour ema-
nating from a rental unit on the third floor led to a police investigation.
M. Wang, et al. Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 63 (2019) 40–47

Fig. 2. Scene of death in case 2.

Fig. 3. Scene of death in case 3.

43
M. Wang, et al.
The door was locked from the inside and there was no trace of forced
invasion at the door and windows. The body was a woman lying on the
floor in the toilet in prone position (Fig. 3a), and the body was in an
advanced state of decomposition with pooled body fluid beneath it
(Fig. 3b). The autopsy found no signs of mechanical injuries. The tox-
icology analysis found high levels of clozapine, a typical antipsychotic
medication that is mainly used for schizophrenia when a patient does
not show improvement under other antipsychotic medication. Cloza-
pine can bind to serotonin and dopamine receptors.49 The drug was
detected in the gastric contents, liver tissues, blood, and pleural effu-
sion, and the clozapine content in the left pleural effusion was 29.6 μg/
ml, exceeding 49 times of the toxic dose (0.6 μg/ml). Moreover, ethanol
was detected in the pleural effusion at 94.8–98.9 mg/100 ml. A sur-
veillance video showed that the woman went out at 14:42 and returned
at 14:45 on May 21, never to go out again. At 20:00 on May 24, 2011
and at 16:00 on the 26th, someone knocked on the door to look for the
resident, but there was no response. According to the nearest weather
station, the corrected temperatures averaged 24 °C over the previous
week.
3.3.1. Entomological evidence and PMI estimation
There were relatively few adult flies and maggots on the site. Fly
larvae were mainly distributed on the head and face (Fig. 3c and d).
Following the species key from Fan,22 the maggots were identified third
instar of C. megacephala, and the maximum length of body was 12 mm.
We stimulated the change in length on the temperature conditions
using the Logistic function: y=(a+bx)/(1 + exp(c + dx)).50 In the
equation, x represents the development time, y represents the body
length, and a, b, c and d are constant. At 24 °C, a, b, c and d are 24.99,
−3.07, 2.65, −1.31 respectively. Based on this equation, the age of
these oldest larvae were estimated as 4.56 days, therefore we estimated
the PMImin to be 4.56 d.
Based on the autopsy results and other findings, such as the sur-
veillance video and a lack of food in the rental room, the investigators
believed that this woman died on the night of May 21. They concluded
that the death was caused by excessive consumption of clozapine and
alcohol and the PMI was 7 days. The investigator's PMI did not match
the entomological evidence, and this may have been caused for the
following reasons. First, the crime scene was an indoor location, which
may have led to a delay in oviposition.51 The unit's windows were open,
but the door was closed, limiting the ability of flies to reach the corpse.
Second, clozapine and ethanol may affect the growth and development
of C. megacephala. Studies by Goff et al.52 showed that larvae developed
more rapidly on tissues containing cocaine, benzoylecognine, or both.
Forensic entomologists have studied the influence of many chemicals
on the development of necrophagous insects, including heroin,52 ami-
triptyline,53 morphine,54 diazepam.55 These chemicals influence de-
velopment time of insects that are important for forensic entomology,
and cases have been reported about the influence of such chemicals on
PMImin estimation. Benecke provided two case studies, finding that
Piophila casei (Linnaeus) and Lucilia ampullaceal (Villeneuve) had si-
milar development time when exposed to heroin as larvae.56 However,
the effects of clozapine and ethanol on the growth and development of
C. megacephala remain unknown. Based on our observations in this
case, we speculate that clozapine and alcohol likely delay the growth
and development of C. megacephala larvae. This case suggests that we
should consider the impact of chemical substances on the development
of insects in future practice to better estimate the PMImin in the pre-
sence of chemical substances.
3.4. Case 4
On 25 February 2011, charred remains of a female were found on a
hillside near the exit of a highway in Guangdong. The body was lying in
a prone position on the ground and the clothes were almost completely
burned out. There were some unburned tree branches around the body
44
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 63 (2019) 40–47
(Fig. 4a). The dead presented typical pugilistic attitude due to the im-
pact of high temperature (Fig. 4b). Portions of the abdominal walls
were burned, exposing the viscera. The internal organs and brain tissues
were less affected by fire. The face, neck, chest, upper left limb, and
lower limbs were dotted with colonies of white fungi (Fig. 4e and f);
however, we could not make further inferences based on the fungi due
to the lack of mycological studies. The autopsy found signs of me-
chanical asphyxia on the neck caused by blunt force, which indicated
the manner of death was homicide. The victim was identified by DNA
testing. The scene was a hillside in the suburbs where bushes grew on
sandy gravel soil. According to the data provided by the nearest
weather station, the corrected temperature average was 15.3 °C over
the month before the discovery of the body.
3.4.1. Entomological evidence and PMI estimation
Using species keys from Fan,22 the samples collected from the
corpse were identified as belonging to three fly species (Fig. 4c and d):
C. megacephala, Boettcherisca peregrine (Robineau-Desvoidy) and Lucilia
sericata (Meigen). All larvae were in third instar, and the oldest insect
evidence was identified as L. sericata, as it was in the pre-pupa stage.
Based upon Grassberger's research,57 we calculated that the duration of
the oldest samples from egg to pre-pupa stage was 25.5 days at 15 °C,
and we estimated the PMImin was 25.5 d.
During investigative questioning, the murderer confessed that he
had quarreled with the victim and strangled her at the rental house on
January 29. On the early morning hours of January 30, the murderer
drove hundreds of kilometers to a remote site, tossed the decreased and
burnt the body with three ignited cigarettes. Based on the confession,
the PMI was 26 days.
The PMI was successfully estimated using the forensic en-
tomological method in this case, with an error of only 0.5 d, illustrating
the advantages and feasibility of this method. There are two interesting
aspects to this case. First, the case occurred between January and
February, which is the coldest season in Guangdong, but insects were
still found on the body. Masahito Hitosugi once reported that dozens of
larvae were observed around the inner cavity of the knee joint of a
severely decomposed cadaver found in a snow-covered mountain
forest.58 Although sarcosaprophagous insects may become inactive
below 10 °C,59 some scholars argue that sunlight may regulate their
activity more than natural temperature in cold weather. Deonier's re-
search60 showed that blowflies are still present at a low temperature of
1.7 °C. During controlled laboratory studies, Wall et al.61 found that the
lower development threshold temperature for L. sericata was 9 °C. M. A.
Alonso62 studied egg developmental time and survival of C. mega-
cephala development at different temperatures, and found that C.
megacephala can hatch at 13 °C. The average temperature in this case
was 15.3 °C, which is higher than the threshold values for the insect
species found on the corpse in the literature. Therefore, it was not
surprising that we found these three species on the corpse. Secondly,
the corpse in this case was burned, yet it was still colonized by insects.
When comparing insect colonization on pig cadavers, Avila and Goff63
found that burned and control pig carcasses did not have significant
difference in colonizing species, insect succession, or larval develop-
ment rates. In Pai's64 case report, C. megacephala maggots were found
on the head and lower part of a burned human body, and authors es-
timated the PMImin to be 50 h using development data from pigs car-
casses. Although burning can destroy some potential oviposition sites, it
can also lead to more oviposition sites due to the appearance of
cracks.65 Introna66 investigated two cases in Italy that used forensic
entomology to estimate PMI on severely burned bodies. Investigators
mainly found blow fly and flesh fly larvae. In the first case, the body
was recovered from a burnt car, and the burn led to the exposure of
internal organs, where a large larval mass was found. The PMImin from
the entomological evidence was concurrent with the last sighting of the
deceased when they were alive, which was about four days prior to
discovery of the body. Introna et al.66 suggested, however, that there
M. Wang, et al.
Fig. 4. Scene of death in case 4.
may be a delay in oviposition of blow flies on charred bodies recovered
from burnt cars, as the body has to cool down to a suitable temperature
after the fire for oviposition. In the second case, which was very similar
to the first case, two charred bodies were found in a burned car. The
PMImin estimated from entomological data was 36–48 h, and this cor-
responded to the last sighting of the two people whilst alive, although
in this case, the car was set alight at night-time. The delay in oviposition
could be attributed to the requirement for the heat to cool down, and
for the reduced activity of blow flies at night-time, likely resulting in
the flies to oviposit on the corpses the following morning. These factors
may explain the 0.5 d error in our case as well.
4. Discussion
When investigating a corpse, the PMI can range from hours to days,
months, or even years. For forensic entomology, if the PMI happens to
be shorter than the duration of insect development from egg to adult,
then the PMI estimation is relatively easy and precise. Through com-
paring the known development stage of insects on the corpse with how
long laboratory flies of the same species take to reach that stage at a
known temperature, forensic entomologists can estimate the PMImin.
However, if the insects on the corpse have completed one generation of
development or affected by other factors, the PMImin calculated by in-
sect evidence must be done with great care.
Using reliable temperature data is required to estimate the time of
death based using the developmental stage of the insects,67 and we
accept PMI estimated in ‘real’ situations where larval cohorts are large
will have errors if they are based on data collected in the lab where
cohorts are small.68 Additionally, there is some dispute within
45
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 63 (2019) 40–47
academic researchers about the influence of constant and fluctuating
temperatures on insect development.69,70
Forensic entomology in China is not fully developed and the number
of researchers in this field is still small due to the difficult research
conditions. There is no specifically named bachelor degree program
through a university or college. At a handful of institutions, graduate
students can major in special forensic entomology research and appli-
cation. Unlike Europe, America or Australia, China is still lacking a
specific forensic entomology academic society. Besides the forensic
investigation, forensic entomologists in China are generally engaged in
educational work at a university. However, as the case studies in this
report indicate, Chinese forensic entomology has already been applied
based on scientific theories. In addition, forensic entomology knowl-
edge has been included in undergraduate textbooks of forensic science
and entomology, and several monographs on this field and popular
novels have been published.
There is a great demand for the application of forensic entomology
in criminal investigations since China is a vast country with a large
population. With improvements in insect identification and aging of
immature insects, as well as the generation of more insect succession
data, we believe that there will be more individuals with professional
knowledge of forensic entomology who are competent in handling
forensic entomology cases, increasing the application of forensic en-
tomology in China.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
M. Wang, et al. Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 63 (2019) 40–47

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