The first recorded incident of insects used in a criminal investigation was in 13th-century China when a farmer was found murdered and all the suspects were told to place their sickles on the ground. One had blood on it that was invisible to the naked eye, but that was enough—it attracted blow flies which resulted in confession by the murderer.

Forensic entomology is the study of insects in criminal investigations and it helps provide a longer term window into when a person died than body temperature and rigor mortis.

In fact, insect colonizers can be used to estimate the time interval between death and corpse discovery, movement of the body, the manner and cause of death, and possible association to suspects at the death scene.

Not bad for a bunch of tiny bugs.

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