Identification
head, pronotum, elytra dark gray to black; pronotum and elytra with uniformly-colored whitish or pale yellowish hairs; scutellum yellowish-brown to reddish-brown; antennae clubbed, basal segments reddish-orange, last 3 segments (the club) dark grayish
underside of thorax and abdomen with dense covering of grayish-white hairs except for black spot in anterior-lateral corner of each abdominal segment, and an irregular-margined black band at base of abdomen
Habitat
found on skin and flesh of dead animals; also used in museums to clean specimens of vertebrates
Season
spring to fall outdoors; year-round indoors
Food
larvae and adults feed on the skin and flesh of dead animals, plus stored foods
See Also
D. ater: scutellum dark, showing no contrast against elytra
D. caninus: broad band of pale hairs across elytra near base, and thin band near apex
D. frischii: top of head and anterior & lateral margins of pronotum with pale yellowish hairs; central portion and posterior margin of pronotum dark
D. marmoratus: basal half of elytra with large pale patch extending from costa half-way to midline
D. talpinus: scutellum whitish or pale yellow; pronotum and elytra with a mix of reddish-brown and pale bluish-gray hairs, more densely haired than D. maculatus
(see
genus page for links to images of the above species)
Internet References
adult and larva images (Andreas Herrmann, Germany)
Contributed by
Robin McLeod on 30 December, 2005 - 7:14am
Last updated 30 December, 2005 - 9:20am
