ABFM Forensic Entomology & Decomposition Flashcards
6 cards from real ABFM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 ABFM Forensic Entomology & Decomposition flashcards as text
Which insect order is considered the most forensically significant due to its early arrival at a decomposing body?
Answer: Diptera
Diptera (flies), especially blowflies, are the first colonizers of a corpse and are central to estimating postmortem interval.
The minimum postmortem interval (minPMI) in forensic entomology is estimated by examining which stage of insect development?
Answer: Age of the youngest insect present
The youngest (earliest stage) insect present gives the minimum time since colonization began, establishing the minPMI.
Which blowfly species is most commonly used as a forensic indicator in the continental United States?
Answer: Lucilia sericata
Lucilia sericata (green bottle fly) is among the most commonly encountered and studied forensic indicator species in the US.
What term describes the predictable sequence of insect species that colonize a corpse over time?
Answer: Arthropod succession
Arthropod succession refers to the predictable wave of different insect and arthropod species that colonize remains at successive stages of decomposition.
Temperature directly affects the accuracy of PMI estimates in forensic entomology because it influences what?
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.
What is the term for the total heat energy required for an insect to complete a developmental stage, used to calculate PMI?
Answer: Accumulated degree days (ADD)
Accumulated degree days (ADD) integrates temperature over time to predict insect development and estimate how long ago colonization occurred.