Published Paper Details:

Forensic entomology relies on the accurate identification of insects and other arthropods recovered from crime scenes, decomposing remains, and skeletal recoveries to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI), reconstruct events surrounding death, and, in some cases, associate suspects or victims with a scene. For decades, this identification depended almost entirely on morphological taxonomy, a method that performs poorly on damaged specimens, immature life stages such as eggs and early-instar larvae, and cryptic or sibling species that are morphologically indistinguishable. Over the past two decades, DNA barcoding, most commonly built around a standardized fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, has emerged as a robust molecular complement and, in many casework scenarios, a superior alternative to morphology-based identification. This review synthesizes the theoretical foundation of DNA barcoding, the practical workflow from sample collection through sequence-based species assignment, and its documented applications in forensic entomology, drawing on peer-reviewed research largely published between 2016 and 2026. Particular attention is given to regional case studies from India; emerging technologies including mini-barcoding, next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based metabarcoding, multi-locus approaches, and machine-learning-assisted identification; and persistent challenges such as reference database gaps, the barcode gap problem, nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes (NUMTs), contamination risk, and courtroom admissibility. The review concludes that DNA barcoding has matured into an indispensable, though not standalone, pillar of modern forensic entomology, and it outlines priority areas -- regional reference libraries, standardized protocols, and integration with artificial intelligence -- for strengthening its evidentiary reliability going forward.