Species Dermestes maculatus - Hide Beetle

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Remarks · Works Cited

Dermestes maculatus? - Dermestes maculatus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

Superfamily Bostrichoidea

Family Dermestidae (Carpet Beetles)

Genus Dermestes

No Taxon (subgenus Dermestinus)

Species maculatus (Hide Beetle)

Other Common Names

Leather Beetle, Common Carrion Dermestid, Bacon Beetle

Explanation of Names

Dermestes maculatus DeGeer 1774

Size

5.5‒10 mm(1)

Identification

see (1)(2)(3)

Range

native to the Old World (origin unknown; non-native in Europe), now cosmopolitan(4)(5), adventive and widespread in NA (across Canada an every US state)(1)

Habitat

in houses, on baled skins and in other products of animal origin; in warehouses(3) and deep-pit poultry houses; outdoors, on carrion and animal skins(2)

Food

larvae and adults feed on dead insects and various materials of animal origin(3), incl. feathers, fur, bone, cheese, and dried fish (esp. freshwater fish)(2)

Remarks

used in museums to clean skeletons(2)

Works Cited

1.	Dichotomous key to adults of economically important dermestids (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) of Canada and the United States Biggs E.M., Herrmann A., Cognato A.I. 2022. CJAI 46: 1‒165.

2.	Handbook of urban insects and arachnids: A handbook of urban entomology Robinson W.H. 2005. Cambridge University Press.

3.	Beetles associated with stored products in Canada: An identification guide Bousquet Y. 1990. Research Branch Agriculture Canada, Publication 1837.

4.	Coleoptera families other than Cerambycidae, Curculionidae sensu lato, Chrysomelidae sensu lato and Coccinelidae -- Chapter 8.5 Denux O., Zagatti P. 2010. BioRisk 4: 315–406.

5.	Háva J. (2023) World catalogue of the Dermestidae

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 30 December, 2005 - 7:14am
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 11 May, 2024 - 9:10pm

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