Species group: murinus
These are the dichotomous keys to identify species of Dermestes (Coleoptera; Dermestidae) on a worldwide scale.
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1a. The hairs on the pronotum and elytra are similar in colour, without yellow hairs with the exception of two possible small spots on the pronotum and some yellow hairs on the margins of the pronotum.
→ Dermestes murinus
1b. More brown hairs present on the pronotum . Go to question: 2
2a. Three small spots of white hairs are present around on the pronotum around the coronal midline; the abdomen are covered in dark brown hairs with a big patch of white hairs in the middle of the first two sternites.
→ Dermestes rattus
2b. The prontoum and the abdomen are covered in a different pattern and/or colour hairs. Go to question: 3
3a. The black spots on the pronotum are defined; body longer than 7 mm long and convex in shape; males have one tuft on their abdomen (4th abdominal sternite). Go to question: 4
3b. There are no defined black spots on the pronotum; body shorter than 8 mm long; males have two spots on their abdomen (3th and 4th abdominal sternite). Go to question: 5
4a. Antennae brown-black, first segment black; last abdominal sternite black with two long white spots; shape of the male genitalia.
→ Dermestes hankae
4b. Antennae entirely brown; last andominal sternite black with two small white spots anteriorly; shape of the male genitalia.
→ Dermestes pardalis
5a. Elytra are uniformly covered in hairs; last abdominal sternite with a white transverse spot at the base (almost) reaching the posterior margin in the middle. Go to question: 6
5b. Last andominal sternite with two small white spots at the anterior margin. Go to question: 8
6a. The abdomen appear golden brown, because the whitish hairs are not dense enough to conceal the surface; pronotum covered in orange brown hairs; first ventral segment is only covered in white hairs in the part under the legs.
→ Dermestes nan
6b. The abdomen are covered with white hairs, densely enough to conseal the surface. Go to question: 7
7a. The brown hairs cover the pronotum irregularly, so the black of the pronotum is visible in places; first ventral segment with noticeable dark spots under the legs that are close to or connected with the spots on lateral edge; shape of the black spots at the apex of the last abdominal sternite, the white hairs end semi circular near the posterior margin of the sternite (except in kaliki variation).
→ Dermestes tessellatocollis
7b. The brown hairs forms hair tufts that cover the pronotum equally dense everywhere and is not lacking in places, the black pronotum is barely visible; dark spots under the legs, with distinct black spots present only on the lateral edge; shape of the black spots at the apex of the last abdominal sternite, the white hairs end semi triangular near the posterior margin of the sternite.
→ Dermestes fulvicollis
8a. Spots of brown hairs are present as randomly located spots on the elytra; pronotum can be covered mostly in grey hairs, mostly in brown hairs or have a mix of the two colours.
→ Dermestes talpinus
8b. The division of brown and grey hairs is more clear, there are no brown hairs on the elytra besides the anterior margins; the pronotum is covered mostly in brown hairs. Go to question: 9
9a. Terminal antennal segment more asymmetrical with a stout spine on anterior surface of antennomere; shape of male genitalia.
→ Dermestes kazakhstanicus
9b. Terminal antennal without a stout spine; shape of male genitalia. Go to question: 10
10a. Large spots of black hairs on the margin of the second abdominal sternite that are surrounded by white hairs; shape of male genitalia.
→ Dermestes smithi
10b. No spots of black hairs on the margin of the second abdominal sternite; shape of male genitalia. Go to question: 11
11a. Shape of male genitalia.
→ Dermestes algeriensis
11b. Shape of male genitalia.
→ Dermestes undulatus
Additional dorsal photos:
Extra information:
The regular form of Dermestes murinus is found in the Paleartcic region. The colour variant Dermestes murinus auriceps is found in North Korea, Mandzhuria, Mongolia and Russia and is characterized by its head that is totally covered in yellow hairs.
The regular form of Dermestes rattus is found in the middle and Western States of the USA and is characterized by elytra with nearly all white hairs with small, irregular patches of black or dark brown hairs. The colour variant Dermeses rattus tristis appears more towards to coastline instead of inland, for example in Baja California Norte, Mexico, in San Francisco, USA, and in Thompson-Nicola, Canada. This variant is characterized by elytra with all black or dark brown hairs or all dark hairs except for few intermingled white or golden white hairs.
The species Dermestes tessellactocollis has a variation called "kaliki", but this time the difference between the regular form and the variety is ventral instead of dorsal: the shape of the white pattern on the last abdominal sternite. In Dermestes tessellactocollis kaliki, the white pattern does not reach the apical margin of the sternite.
Why is the dorsal image of Dermestes fasciventris shown in the additional photos? As you might notice, this species looks dorsally a lot like D. nan, D. tessellactocollis and D. fulvicollis (three species that were formally all seen as different subspecies of D. tessellactocollis). These species also have brown hairs on the pronotum and their elytra are also uniformly covered with black hairs. The biggest difference between D. fasciventris and the three species of the murinus species group is the direction of the hairs on the pronotum. In D. fasciventris, the hairs are all directed posteriorly. In the other three species, bundles of hairs are oriented in all directions on the pronotum.
Made by Sarah Mahie
Created on: 30-12-2025
Latest update: 19-01-2026