Species group: elegans

These are the dichotomous keys to identify species of Dermestes (Coleoptera; Dermestidae) on a worldwide scale.

Click on the species names to go to their taxon page. Click here to go back to the subgenus page. Click here to go back to the main page.

1a. Elytra do not have a basal transverse band of light hairs.

→ Dermestes fasciventris

1b. Elytra with a white or yellow basal transverse band. Go to question: 2

2a. Pronotum mainly covered with yellow-orange hairs; no black spots in basal yellow band that covers first 1/3^th of elytron; last abdominal sternite black with no white spots.

2b. Pronotum mainly covered with brown-orange hairs; black spots in basal white band that covers first 1/4^th of elytron; last abdominal sternite black with small white spots or white pattern. Go to question: 3

3a. Two back spots on in basal white band on elytron; last abdominal sternite black with white pattern, and with black hairs on posterior margin; shape of the male genitalia.

→ Dermestes elegans

3b. Only one black spot near scutellum in basal white band on elytron; last abdominal sternite black with two small white spots anteriorly, and with long yellow hairs on hind margin; shape of male genitalia.

→ Dermestes kafkai

Extra information:

The newly described Dermestes kazakhstanicus, currently categorized in the murinus species group, shares a lot of similarity with Dermestes fasciventris - a species that is also present in Kazakhstan. According to Háva (2025) all morphological characters are identical, making D. kazakhstanicus a synonym of D. fasciventris.

The slightly convex body shape, the black pubescence on the elytra, the direction of the pubescence on the pronotum, the asymmetrical terminal antennal segment with a stout spine on the anterior surface of the antennomere and even some traits of the ventral pattern of D. kazakhstanicus are more similar to D. fasciventris than to D. undulatus, another species of the murinus species group. D. fasciventris does not have bands of white hairs on the femora. It is currently unknown of D. kazakhstanicus have these bands, but other species of the murinus species group are known to have them. This text will be updated once more is known.

Used images:

Images of key 1a (dorsal & ventral):
- Herrmann A. no date: Pictures of some Dermestid Species. Link.

Image of key 1a (elytron):
- Mahie S. 2026: Edit of Háva J. & Kalík V. 1999: The dermestid beetles (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) of Iran. Part 1: genus Dermestes. Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae 63: 443-450. Link.

Image of key 2a (dorsal):
- Háva J. & Kopr D. 2023: A very rare species Dermestes (Dermestinus) solskyi Dalla Torre, 1911 from Iran (Coleoptera: Dermestidae). Studies and Reports, Taxonomical Series 19(1): 197-198. Link.

Image of key 3a (dorsal):
- Natural History Museum: Coleoptera Section 2020: NHMUK014092460_Dermestes_elegans _Solsky--whole_dorsal_X_1.25. Link.

Image of 2a, 3a and 3b (elytron, abdomen, male genital):
- Háva J. & Kalík V. 1999: The dermestid beetles (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) of Iran. Part 1: genus Dermestes. Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae 63: 443-450. Link.

Images of the extra information:
- (D. kazakhstanicus) Graham H. & Herrmann A. 2025: The Palaearctic Dermestes undulatus Brahm 1790 (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Dermestinae) species complex: descriptions of neotype and three new species. Natural History Sciences 12(2): 48-56. Link.
- (dorsal & antenna of D. fasciventris) Смирнов М.Э., n.d.: Dermestes (Dermestinus) fasciventris Rtt., 1880 (Dermestidae) - фото М.Э. Смирнова. Link.
- (ventral of D. fasciventris) Herrmann A. no date: Pictures of some Dermestid Species. Link.

Used information:

- (1 and 3a) Zhantiev R. D. 1976: Жуки-кожееды (семейство Dermestidae) фауны СССР. [The skin eaters family Dermestidae of fauna of the USSR.] Moskva: Izdatelstvo Moskovskogo Universiteta, 180 p. Link.
- (2 and 3) Háva J. & Kalík V. 1999: The dermestid beetles (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) of Iran. Part 1: genus Dermestes. Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae 63: 443-450. Link.
- (extra information - D. kazakhstanicus) Graham H. & Herrmann A. 2025: The Palaearctic Dermestes undulatus Brahm 1790 (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Dermestinae) species complex: descriptions of neotype and three new species. Natural History Sciences 12(2): 48-56. Link.
- (extra information - D. fasciventris) Herrmann A. no date: Dermestes fasciventris REITTER, 1881. Link.
- (Extra information - synonym status) Remarks on species of Dermestes Linnaeus, 1758, from the Palaearctic Region, with a new homonymy and two new synonymy (Coleoptera: Dermestidae). Link.

Made by Sarah Mahie

Created on: 30-12-2025

Latest update: 05-02-2026