ABSTRACT
This rst chapter of the book acts as an introduction to Chapters 2 through 6, which concern the history and activities of workers in forensic entomology in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. While these regions cover a part of the world that is exceptionally varied both ecologically and culturally, there are also certain underlying evolutionary afnities that unite them. I highlight here the main themes that have been dealt with in these chapters. China, the topic of Chapter 2, is notable in that it can be considered the “birthplace” of forensic entomology, given that the earliest known documentation of ies (Diptera) being used to solve crimes comes from the Far East (Giles 1924). It is therefore entirely appropriate that China be the rst country in this book to have its achievements in forensic entomology addressed.
