A comprehensive assessment of forensic entomology applications on human remains: A systematic review from 1989 to...

Forensic entomology, the study of insects in legal investigations, is most commonly applied to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI). While animal models have historically supported research in this field, their relevance to human forensic scenarios remains limited. A systematic review was conducted to assess the current state of forensic entomology research involving human cadavers. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was performed using Lens.org and PubMed databases to identify peer-reviewed articles published between 1989 and 2025. Inclusion criteria targeted English-language articles explicitly addressing forensic entomology and human remains. A total of 88 eligible articles were identified. A systematic analysis was performed using VOSviewer (v1.6.20), focusing on keyword co-occurrence mapping, clustering, and density visualization to identify dominant research themes and potential knowledge gaps. Four major research themes were identified: (1) Insect developmental biology for post-mortem interval estimation, (2) Taxonomic and ecological investigations of forensically relevant insects (3) Molecular approaches to insect identification in forensic contexts and (4) Insect succession dynamics during decomposition. The density mapping indicated that research depth in the field of forensic entomology related to human cadavers is limited. Entomofaunal studies revealed a need for broader geographic representation. Notably, entomotoxicology did not emerge as a major cluster, highlighting it as a significantly underexplored area in human cadaver studies. Foundational research exists on PMI estimation and insect development, yet gaps in diversity and methods persist. Entomotoxicology and regional species variation remain underexplored; addressing these will enhance the accuracy and applicability of forensic entomology in human death investigations.