Welcome to FlyEvidence
Professional and accurate Insect Identification Service
About Flyevidence: insect identification service
Background
Background
Background
Recent technological interest in insects is driven by their immense success as organisms. Originating over 400 million years ago, they have, and still do dominate the Earth. FlyEvidence is interested in understanding & explaining how and why this is.
The diverse adaptability found in insects ensures their interaction with humans, but it is only a minute fraction of the overall number of species that are pests. The overwhelming majority of insects are innocuous to humans, and for most, we know virtually nothing of their role, their interactions and their value.
With a background in museum curation, forensic entomology, faunistic and pollination biology, FlyEvidence provides an insect identification service over a broad range of insect groups.
Services
Background
Background
At FlyEvidence Consultant Entomologist Andrew Whittington provides an experience based Insect Identification Service.
Main Groups:
UK and N. Europe
Diptera (flies);
Neuroptera (lacewings);
Plecoptera (Stoneflies);
Ephemeroptera (mayflies);
Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies);
Carabidae (ground beetles);
Auchenorrhyncha (planthoppers);
Araneae (spiders).
Afrotropical
Lonchoptera, Syrphidae & Platystomatidae (Diptera).
Other interest
Urban and stored products species and species of Forensic interest
Other groups on request.
Commission
Background
Commission
If you would like to commission FlyEvidence to conduct legal investigation, insect identification, photographic or statistics work for you, then the easiest method is to fill in the Contact FlyEvidence form at the foot of this page to outline your needs, or email your request directly to: awhittington@flyevidence.co.uk
We will then discuss the extent of the service with you and devise a suitable time-frame in which to conduct the work.
Examples of previous contracts include:
Micro-dipterous
pollination in Ceropegia (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae)
Ecosystem restoration strengthens pollination network in Seychelles
Diptera of the Central Peaks and Peak Dale, St Helena
Origin of Flyevidence
How FlyEvidence came about
The knowledge and expertise gained by a profession in taxonomy at national museums for 14 years, focussing on flies (Diptera) and other insect orders, meant that the skills required for certain case work were well honed. Particularly, insect identification.
In a murder investigation in 2003, the Lothian and Borders Police (Scotland) made an enquiry concerning the route a vehicle had travelled, using the insects adhered to the outside of the car. The car was examined at the Forensic laboratory in Edinburgh and numerous insects removed. Once identified, the species comprising the haul could be analysed. By focussing on habitat type, it was possible to state that the car had travelled along a particular road near coastal swamps, because several species of insect were taken from the vehicle that reside in coastal swamps.
At the time, no conviction was made, as no body could be located and, besides, the primary suspect was soon afterward committed to imprisonment on a different charge of manslaughter.
That is not the end of the story, however. Fourteen years in 2017, later a cyclist travelling along the coastal road needed to relieve himself, hopped over a drystone wall and nearly landed on a heap of human bones. The case was quickly re-opened and the remains turned out to be the missing body from the original murder investigation in 2003.
Armed with this experience and realising the void in the market, FlyEvidence was established in 2003 with the aim of delivering expert insect identification for Forensic and scientific investigation.
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/louise-tiffney-body-found-edinburgh-17008643
Learn More
The use of insects in forensic case work enables the investigator to estimate post mortem interval. This is not necessarily the same as time of death. Rather, it is the minimum time since egg laying (oviposition) took place and indicates when insects first had access to the deceased.
Forensic Entomology doesn't only focus on time of death estimations - there is so much more, such as assessing the use of drugs by the deceased prior to death, or locating the growing location of a consignment of cannabis.