Dermestes maculatus

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Coleopterida
Ordo: Coleoptera
Subordo: Polyphaga
Infraordo: Bostrichiformia
Superfamilia: Bostrichoidea

Familia: Dermestidae
Subfamilia: Dermestinae
Tribus: Dermestini
Genus: Dermestes
Subgenus: Dermestes (Dermestinus)
Species: Dermestes (Dermestinus) maculatus
Name

Dermestes (Dermestinus) maculatus De Geer, 1774
References

Háva, J, 2004, Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae 60 (3-4): 149–164. [1]

Dermestes maculatus is a species of beetle with a worldwide distribution, being present on all continents except Antarctica. In Europe, it is present in all countries.

Description

The beetle is black or dull and usually hairy. The species is often found underneath dead animals that have decomposed for several days to weeks. Their eating habits can cause a dead animal to become just a skeleton.[1] The appearance of the beetle on decomposing remains of humans and other animals can be used to estimate postmortem interval in cases of suicide, homicide, or unattended death. The adults generally arrive within 5 to 11 days following an animal's death. The larvae develop for five to seven weeks, and the adult beetles live for four to six months.[2]
Pests

The beetle feeds on carrion and dry animal products. They are pests of the silk industry in Italy and India. Dried fish, cheese, bacon, dog treats, and poultry are some of the foods that the beetle gets into.[2] The beetle has been known to attack and eat live turkeys.[3]
Larvae
Illustration of Dermestes maculatus from Edmund Reitter "Fauna Germanica"

The bodies of the larvae are covered in setae. The bottom of the abdomen is yellowish-brown while the dorsal surface is dark brown, usually with a yellow line in the middle. There are two urogomphi that are on the upper surface of the last segment and curve upward and away from the tip of the abdomen. The pupa is shaped like an oval, is usually smaller than the larvae, and do not have setae.[2] The first documented case of papular urticaria was caused by the larvae.[4] No preference was found for the larvae out of calf meat, chicken meat, and pellet feed for rodents.[3] The pupae may be cannibalized by the larvae.[5]
Use in skeleton preparation

Dermestes maculatus is the species of carrion beetle typically used by universities and museums to remove the flesh from bones in skeleton preparation. Human and animal skeletons are prepared using this method and the practice has been in use for over 150 years.[6] At one time the ravages of the Dermestes vulpinus [now maculatus] were so great in the skin-warehouses of Victorian London, that a reward of £20,000 was offered for an available remedy.[7]
References

"Hide beetle (Dermestes maculatus)". University of Illinois. Archived from the original on January 10, 2010. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
Brianna Shaver & Phillip E. Kaufman. "Common name: hide beetle scientific name: Dermestes maculatus DeGeer (Insecta: Coleoptera: Dermestidae)". University of Florida. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
M. Samish, Q. Argaman & D. Perelman (February 1992). "Research note: the hide beetle, Dermestes maculatus DeGeer (Dermestidae), feeds on live turkeys". Poultry Science. 71 (2): 388–390. doi:10.3382/ps.0710388. PMID 1546050.
M. H. A. Rustin & D. D. Munro (2006). "Papular urticaria caused by Dermestes maculatus Degeer". Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. 9 (3): 317–321. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2230.1984.tb00806.x. PMID 6733966. S2CID 32654921.
Melanie S. Archer & Mark A. Elgar (2007). "Cannibalism and delayed pupation in hide beetles, Dermestes maculatus DeGeer (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)". Australian Journal of Entomology. 37 (2): 158–161. doi:10.1111/j.1440-6055.1998.tb01564.x.
Graves, Rob (2006). Beetles & Bones: Care, Feeding, and Use of Dermestid Beetles. South Berwick, Maine: Jillett Publications. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-9774630-0-8.
"Curious Facts in the History of Insects; Including Spiders and Scorpions, by Frank Cowan—A Project Gutenberg eBook".