Dermestid family - Dermestes ater - BugGuide.Net

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Photo#341685

Copyright © 2009 Vespula Vulgaris

Dermestid family - Dermestes ater -

Size: Varrying_see comments

Thought this was a rather neat shot. It started out with a single adult beetle coming in with a load of crickets that I got from the pet store. A few weeks later and another beetle came in with another load of crickets. The two were apparently male and female, because after about 2 weeks larvae started appearing in the cage.

SIZES: larger beetle~ 6-7 mm
smaller beetles~ 5-6 mm

Possible to ID? I can get other shots if necessary...

Images of this individual: tag all

Dermestid family - Dermestes ater - male - female

Dermestid family - Dermestes ater

Dermestid family - Dermestes ater

Dermestid family - Dermestes ater

Contributed by Vespula Vulgaris on 8 October, 2009 - 6:05pm
Last updated 20 November, 2010 - 7:00am

Data fields

If the specimen came from somewhere else the date shouldn't be in the data field, just mention it in the text; just as with the location.

… Beatriz Moisset, 22 November, 2009 - 8:09pm

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… Vespula Vulgaris, 9 October, 2009 - 5:51am

id possible -- please fill date box first

thanks!
i think their size should be considerably larger than indicated, though

… v belov, 8 October, 2009 - 7:46pm

Alrighty

I figured I would leave the date out since they are not technically 'wild' specimens

Just went back and measured more precisely, and the larger beetle is just pushing 6 mm, maybe 7. The smaller is 5 or 6. They are not the largest dermestids I have seen...

Will add photos of a larva and the larger beetle...

… Vespula Vulgaris, 8 October, 2009 - 7:58pm

dwarfish Dermestes ?ater [pls add a ventral]

"not technically 'wild'" means the location fields should be cleaned, too -- see THIS THREAD

… v belov, 8 October, 2009 - 8:08pm

Will do

Now that I think about it, I have absolutely no idea where the beetles originated from past the pet store.

… Vespula Vulgaris, 8 October, 2009 - 8:11pm

origin is no big deal in this case: the beetle is cosmopolitan

*

… v belov, 8 October, 2009 - 8:15pm

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