Abstract

Insects play an imperative role in the criminal investigations. The association of the insects with that of the corpse in the criminal investigation is forensic entomology. These insects invade the cadaver and ameliorate in decomposition process and hence aid in criminal investigation. Number of research has been conducted on terrestrial entomological insects regarding their role in criminal and forensic investigation but not enough work has been done on aquatic forensics. There are many environmental factors that may act upon the colonization of an organism on a dead or decaying matter. While this is a known factor in terrestrial settings, this aspect is also observed in the decomposition process in aquatic environment as well. The water and its physical and chemical aspects, involving parameters such as temperature and oxygen content, may not only have a significant role to play in the process of decomposition but may also impact the core process of decomposition. This review paper summarizes the studies on aquatic forensics, its importance, forensically substantial aquatic insects, and their collection, preservation and decomposition studies of human cadavers in aquatic habitats. key messages: This article discusses the importance of insects as forensic evidence.

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