D3328: First survey of insects of forensic importance in the Republic of The Gambia

Forensic entomology is the application of the study of insects to any legal issues; it is often used by investigators to assess postmortem movement of the remains, evaluate the presence of xenobiotic and to estimate the minimum postmortem interval (mPMI). In order to successfully practice forensic entomology, it is necessary to know the entomofauna present and active in a geographic area. The Republic of the Gambia is a small country located in Western Africa; Gambian climate is sub-tropical and it is characterized by a dry season from about November to May, and a wet season. It is home to four regions and it is entirely crossed by the Gambia River. No survey of necrophagous and necrophilous insect species had been conducted in the country until now. This study describes the insects collected during a survey conducted in the Gambia using aerial traps baited with beef liver and piglet carcasses. The survey was conducted in all ecoregions during the summer of 2022. This study represent the first research project in forensic entomology of the country and provides a preliminary database of necrophagous and necrophilous entomofauna of potential forensic interest in The Gambia.