Amoret Whitaker

Amoret Whitaker is a Senior Lecturer on the BSc (Hons) Forensic Investigation, the BSc (Hons) Forensic Investigation and Cyber Security, and the BSc (Hons) Forensic Science. She has a BSc (Hons) in Zoology from the University of Reading, an MSc in Taxonomy and Biodiversity from Imperial College London and the Natural History Museum, and a PhD in Forensic Entomology from King’s College London and the Natural History Museum. She also has a Diploma in Forensic Medical Sciences from the Royal Society of the Apothecaries of London, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

She specialises in Forensic Entomology and since 2004 has undertaken forensic casework throughout the UK for many police forces and forensic providers, attending crime scenes, deposition sites and post-mortems, analysing data and submitting reports, and attending court if required.

Her teaching responsibilities are mainly in Forensic Ecology, Forensic Medicine, Forensic Imaging, Research Methods and Presenting Forensic Evidence.

Amoret’s research focusses on the succession of insects associated with the decomposition of piglets in the UK, as well as human cadavers in the USA. She has pioneered the use of thermal imaging to study larval mass temperatures, and the comparison of pig and human cadavers during decomposition.

Supervision of research students

Molly Mactaggart (Dec 2015 - Nov 2018) The post-feeding larval dispersal of forensically important UK blow flies.

Luca Manelli (Oct 2018 - March 2022) The influence of insects in the decomposition of charred bodies for the determination of the minPMI.

Nicky Booth (Oct 2018, part-time) A forensic linguistic investigation: combining stylistic and stylometric methods to ascertain authorship identification in disputed texts. 

Dr Whitaker welcomes enquiries about research supervision; her areas of supervision are: Forensic Entomology - behavioural and ecological studies (non-molecular); other biological disciplines in forensics (e.g. diatoms, botany, wildlife) with specialist external supervision.

Forensic entomology

Taphonomy

Blow flies

Fleas

Books and book chapters

• Whitaker, A. (in prep) Flea (Animal Series). Reaktion Books.
• Hall, M., Whitaker, A. & Hart, A.J. (2015). Chapter 9: United Kingdom. In International Dimensions and Frontiers in Forensic Entomology, Eds Jeffery K. Tomberlin & M. Eric Benbow. CRC Press.
• Hall, M., Whitaker, A. & Richards, C. (2012). Chapter 8: Forensic Entomology. In Forensic Ecology Handbook: From Crime Scene to Court, Eds Julie Roberts & Nicholas Márquez-Grant. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Whitaker, A. (2007) Fleas (Siphonaptera). Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects Vol. I Part 16 (2nd Ed.) 178pp. (A)

Journal articles

• Mactaggart, M., Whitaker, A. P., Wilkinson, K. N. & Hall, M. J. R. (2024) Novel use of a servosphere to study apodous insects: Investigation of blow fly post-feeding larval dispersal.  Medical and Veterinary Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12745
• Whitaker, A. P. (2017)  Effect of burning on minimum post-mortem interval (minPMI) estimation from an entomological perspective.  Archaeological and Environmental Forensic Science 1.1: 17-31.
• Whitaker, A. (2014). Obituaries: Robert Stephen George 1921-2013. British Journal of Entomology and Natural History 27: 63-65.
• Hall, M. Richards, C & Whitaker, A. (2010). Forensic Entomology Advances – A detailed look at the current and future applications of entomology in crime scene investigation. Forensic Technology Review 1: 140-150.
• Hall, M. & Whitaker, A.(2009). Forensic Entomology. Nature First 54: 23-26.
• Paterson, L. J. G., Glover, A. G., Barrio Frojan, C. R. S., Whitaker, A., Budaeva, N., Chimonides, J. & Doner, S. (2009) A census of abyssal polychaetes. Deep-Sea Research II 56: 1739-46.
• Whitaker, A. & Hall, M. (2008). Forensic Entomology: Using insects to solve crime. Catalyst 19(1):1-3.
• Hart, A. J., Whitaker, A. & Hall, M. (2008) The Use of Forensic Entomology in Criminal Investigations: How it can be of benefit to SIOs. The Journal of Homicide and Major Incident Investigation Vol. 4 Issue 1: 37-47.
• Whitaker, A. (formerly Brandt), Bhuiya, B.A., Fitton, M.G. & Quicke, D.L.J. (2008) The Oriental and Indo-Australian Species of the Parasitic Wasp Genus Iphiaulax Foerster (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Braconidae). Journal of Taxonomy and Biodiversity Research 1(2): 11-44.
• Hart, A.J. & Whitaker, A. (formerly Brandt) (2006) Forensic Entomology: Insect activity and its role in the decomposition of human cadavers. Antenna (Bulletin of the Royal Entomological Society) 30(4): 159-164.
• Hall, M. & Brandt, A.P. (2006) Forensic Entomology. Science in School Issue 2: 49-53.
• Brandt, A. P. (2004) A Fascination for Flies. Antenna 28(3): 181-182
• Brandt, A. P. (2003) Book Review: Maggots, Murder and Men: memories and reflections of a forensic entomologist by Dr Zakaria Erzinçlioğlu. Entomologist’s Gazette 54.
• Holloway, G.J., Gilbert, F. & Brandt, A. P. (2002) The relationship between mimetic imperfection and phenotypic variation in insect colour patterns. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 269: 411-416.
• Brandt, A.P. (2001) Book Review: Irish Indoor Insects: A Popular Guide by James P. O’Connor & Patrick Ashe. Illustrated by Sean Milne. Entomologist’s Gazette 52(4): 251-252.
• Quicke, D.L.J., Brandt, A.P. & Falco, J.V. (2000) Revision of the Afrotropical species of Curriea Ashmead (Hymen-optera: Braconidae: Braconinae): a genus with diverse ovipositor morphology. African Entomology 8(1): 109-139.
• Pampiglione, G., Quicke, D.L.J. & Brandt, A. (2000) Observations of insect parasitoids by Antonio Vallisneri in the XVII century. Antenna 24(1): 11-17.

Databases

• Whitaker, A. P. (2007) The Distribution of British Fleas Database

Media

• Featured in Episode 15 of 2023 BBC One series Expert Witness
• Interview on BBC Radio 4's The Life Scientific
• The Museum of Life (BBC2) (at 50mins)
• Expert Witness: Aging insects and fake fairies (Episode 7) (BBC1)
• Christmas Special University Challenge (BBC2)
• 3D Forensics: Episode 48 (YouTube)
• The Infinite Monkey Cage: Will insects inherit the earth? (Series 16) (BBC Radio 4)

Memberships

• BAFM (British Association of Forensic Medicine)
• EAFE (European Association of Forensic Entomology)
• NAFEA (North American Forensic Entomology Association)
• RES (Royal Entomological Society)
• Chester Wildlife Forensics Group
• Scientific Associate of the Natural History Museum, London
• Member of the University's Animal Welfare Research Group.