Virtual Autopsy in Entomology: A Digital Perspective on Insect-Based Forensic Investigation

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-610-4_57How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Virtopsy; Entomology; MRI; Micro-CT scan; insects

Abstract

Virtopsy has evolved as a contemporary, non-intrusive imaging technique that enhances the established method of autopsy. In the past few years, its scope has broadened in the forensic entomological field. Through cross-sectional imaging methods consisting of MRI, micro-CT scans, CT scans, and digital imagery measurements, investigating officials can examine the insect processes without physical disruption. These techniques make it possible to clearly visualize features such as maggot masses, larval tunnels, pupal cases, tissue destruction, and other insect-related changes that develop during decomposition. By optimizing these particulars, virtopsy supports in tracing how and when insects populate at distinctive parts of the body, which is essential for estimation of the time since death. An additional advantage is that virtopsy creates permanent digital records that can be reviewed later by experts, used for teaching, or presented in court to support transparency and accuracy. While it cannot entirely replace a hands-on entomological examination, it greatly improves documentation, reduces the risk of contaminating evidence, and allows early detection of insect activity—especially useful when a traditional autopsy cannot be performed right away. This review outlines the recent advances, challenges, and future potential of combining virtual autopsy with forensic entomology, showing how this approach can strengthen PMI estimation and enhance overall forensic reliability.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Aditya Verma
AU  - Tanu Rajput
AU  - Devesh Tiwari
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/05
TI  - Virtual Autopsy in Entomology: A Digital Perspective on Insect-Based Forensic Investigation
BT  - Proceedings of the First International Conference on Advances in Forensics and Cyber Technologies (ICFACT 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 704
EP  - 718
SN  - 2352-538X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-610-4_57
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-610-4_57
ID  - Verma2026
ER  -