Subgenus: Dermestinus

1.1.a. Pronotum without a small oblong non-pigmented area containing a dark pigment spot and urogomphi are pointed upwards and forward or nearly straight. Go to question: 1.2

1.1.b. Pronotum laterally on each side with a small oblong non-pigmented area containing a dark pigment spot. / If no such spot is present, then the urogomphi are directed backwardly and curved downwards. Go to question: 20

 

1.2.a. Frons without two tubercles at anterior margin. Go to question: 2

1.2.b. Fons with two tubercles at anterior margin. (Group: necrobionts) Go to question: 8

 

2a. Well developed urogomphi, slightly shorter or longer than the diameter of sement 9 at the posterior margin. (Group: necrobionts/petobionts intermediate; species group: gyllenhalii) Go to question: 3

2b. Shortened urogomphi. (Group: petobionts; species group: laniarius) Go to question: 4

 

3a. Head light rufous, prothoracic tergite brownish rufous with two brownish Z-shaped spots, the rest of the tergites dark brownish.

→ Dermestes szekessyi 

3b. Head an all tergites brownish, prothoracic tergite with light longitudinal stripe interrupted in the middle.

→ Dermestes gyllenhalii 

 

4a. Urogomphi very short, inconspicuous. Body densely covered with long yellow setae, tergites with contrasting brownish or black pattern. Prothoracic tergite with a light dorsal stripe that is interrupted in the middle by a dark spot and two small lighter spots on each side beside the dorsal stripe. Sometimes the brown areas on the prothoracic tergite are reduced to spots forming the shape of a circle on each side.

→ Dermestes laniarius 

4b. Urogomphi large or medium-sized, at least half as long as the diameter of segment 9 at the posterior margin. Go to question: 5

 

5a. Head yellow, with rounded brown spot in the fronto-vertical area. Urogomphi bent forward, about half as long as the diameter of degment 9 at the posterior margin. Prothoracic tergite brown, with light longitudinal stripe.

→ Dermestes erichsoni 

5b. Head without rounded brown spot in fronto-vertical area. Urogomphi less bent. Go to question: 6

 

 

6a. Older instar larva without light longitudinal stripes on head. Body dorsally with a wide, median, yellowish stripe. Prothoracic tergite is brownish yellow, with two large dark brown spots. Urogomphi slender, straight, pointed posteriad, half as long as the diameter of segment 9 at the posterior margin.

→ Dermestes coronatus 

 

6b. More data is needed. Body overall very dark in colour, with a faint, light dorsal stripe that becomes more prominent in older instars. Urogomphi straight.

→ Dermestes aurichalceus 

6c. Older instar larva with two light longitudinal stripes. Go to question: 7

 

7a. Urogomphi conical, about 0.33 times as long as the diameter of segment 9 at the posterior margin. Dorsal body surface with wide beaded light longitudinal stripe. Prothoracic tergite brownish yellow, with two dark brown spots shaped similar to " > < " as seen from above.

→ Dermestes kaszabi 

7b. Urogomphi straight. Prothoracic tergite with light lateral areas along the dorsal stripe. Abdominal tergites 4 to 9 with a transverse row of about 12 retrorse tubercles behind the anterocostal suture.

→ Dermestes mustelinus 

7c. Urogomphi conical. Prothoracic tergite brownish yellow, with two dark brown spots shaped similar to " •  • " as seen from above. Body is yellowish with greyish / brownish areas on the abdominal tergites.

→ Dermestes sardous 

7d. More data is needed. Body dorsally with a light, broad, median stripe on on the intersegmental membranes of tergites. Prothoracic tergite brownish yellow with a transverse dark stripe, somewhatshaped like a bow: wide at the lateral margins and narrow around the midle.

→ Dermestes intermedius 

8a. Prothoracic tergite without light longitudinal stripe. (Species group: murinus) Go to question: 9

8b. Prothoracic tergite with longitudinal stripe, complete or interrupted in the middle. Go to question: 11

 

9a. Urogomphi large, strongly bent forward, only slightly shorter than the diameter of segment 9 at the posterior margin. Abdominal spiracles lying at the apices of stringly protruding conical cuticular outgrowths.

→ Dermestes tesselatocollis 

9b. Urogomphi weakly bent forward, 0.58-0.62 times as long ast the diameter of segment 9 at the posterior margin. Abdominal spiracles slightly protruding over cuticle surface. Go to question: 10

 

10a. The tip of the urogomphus is directly above the posterior border of the base as seen from aside. Urogomphi are 0.62 times as long as the diameter of degment 9 at the posterior margin. Body dorsally with a short stripe extending from the posterior margin of the prothorax to the abdominal tergite 2 and occasionally noticeble only on intersegmental membranes. Retrose tubercles on abdominal tergites covered with fine outgrowths, more abundant near the apex.

→ Dermestes undulatus 

10b. The tip of the urogomphus is behind the posterior border of the base as seen from aside. Urogomphi are 0.62 times as long as segment 9 at the posterior margin. Dorsal body surface with longitudinal row of light spots on the intersegmental membranes of thoracic segments and the basal abdominal segments 5 to 7. Apices of the retrose tubercles star-shaped.

→ Dermestes murinus 

10c. The tip of the urogomphus is behind the posterior border of the base as seen from aside. Body dorsally with broad, median, yellowish stripe extending posteriorly from anterior margin of mesonotum. The tubercles on the frons are prominent. An anterior transverse series of fully developed retrorse tubercles on abdominal tergites 4 to 9, tubercles terminally with short acute processes and terminal seta.

→ Dermestes talpinus 

11a. Urogomphi bent forward. (Species group: maculatus) Go to question: 12

11b. Urogomphi more or less straight. Go to question: 17

 

12a. Abdominal tergites without retrose tubercles. Go to question: 13

12b. Abdominal tergites 4 to 9 with a transverse row of short retrose tubercles. Go to question: 14

 

13a. Posterior side of tibiotarsus without additional apical seta. Posterior margins of tergites with setae varying from rather thick to very fine. Urogomphi nearly half as long as the diameter of segment 9 at the posterior margin.

→ Dermestes planus 

13b. Posterior side of tibiotarsus without additional apical seta. Posterior margins of tergites covered with setae of subequal thickness. Urogomphi no less than 0.67 times as long as the diameter of segment 9 at the posterior margin.

→ Dermestes sibiricus 

 

 

14a. Dorsal body surface with light longitudinal stripe that is interrupted in the middle on the prothoracic tergite. Go to question: 15

14b. Dorsal body surface with wide longitudinal stripe, not interrupted on the prothoracic ternite. Go to question: 16

 

15a. Spiracles incorporated into tergites beginning from abdominal segment 3. Tergites 4 to 9 with a row of short retrose tubercles covered with outgrowths behind the antecostal suture. Urogomphi 0.77 times as long as the diameter of segment 9 at the posterior margin.

→ Dermestes coarctatus 

15b. Unpigmented area at sides of pronotum with an insignificant linear pigment spot. Usually 3 anterior abdominal spiracles free (not attached to sclerotized pigmented area of tergite). Retrorse tubercles very small and insignificant on abdominal tergite 4 (smaller than those on tergite 9), becoming progressively larger posteriorly, reaching maximum development on abdominal tergite 8. Urogomphi longer and more curved than in D. coarctatus.

→ Dermestes frischii 

 

 

16a. Sides of pronotum with a large unpigmented area containing one or two oval pigment spots. Usually 2 anterior abdominal spiracles free (surrounded by a small unpigmented area). Retrorse tubercles apically rounded, with acute wart-like processes. Ocelli large, ventral pair nearly as close together as dorsal. Urogomphi bent forward, 0.71 times as long as the diameter of segment 9 at the posterior margin.

→ Dermestes maculatus 

 

16b. Sides of pronotum with only a narrow unpigmented area along lateral margin and with a pigment spot in an oblong unpigmented area enclosed in the pigmented area. Usually only 1 abdominal spiracle free, others joined to pigmented areas. Retrorse tubercles bilobed apically, each lobe with acute processes. Ocelli smaller, ventral pair more widely spaced.

→ Dermestes carnivorus 

 

17a. Light longitudinal stripe on prothoracic tergite is interrupted in the middle along 1/3th of its length or more. (Species group: elegans) Go to question: 18

17b. Light longitudinal stripe on prothoracic tergite narrowing in the middle or interrupted along less than 1/3th of its length. (Species group: dimidiatus) Go to question: 19

 

18a. Retrose tubercles on abdominal tergites sharply pointed to apex bearing small conical outgrowths. Urogomphi somewhat swollen in basal half and noticebly narrowing after midle, 0.67 times as long as segment 9 at the posterior margin.

→ Dermestes elegans 

18b. Retrose tubercles on abdominal tergites widened to apex bearing rounded outgrowths. Urogomphi slender, regularly narrowing apicad, 0.77 times as long as segment 9 at the posterior margin.

→ Dermestes fasciventris 

 

19a. Abdominal tergites 4 to 9 with simple spicisetae. Retrose tubercles covered with fine outgrowths or spines, bearing small pointed apical outgrowths.

→ Dermestes dimidiatus 

19b. Abdominal tergites 4 to 9 with pubescent spicisetae posterior to retrose tubercles. Retrose posterior to retrose tubercles. Retrose tubercles without fine outgrowths or spines,apial outgrowths smoothed.

→ Dermestes leopardinus 

 

20a. Frons without two tubercles at anterior margin. The urogomphi are pointed upwards. A small oblong non-pigmented area with a pigment spot inside is present on each lateral side of the prothoracic tergite. Body dorsally with broad, median, yellowish stripe extending posteriorly from anterior margin of pronotum, formed by yellowish triangular area on each abdominal sternite, apices directed anteriorly. Mesal area immediately anterior to fine anterior transverse tergal ridge of each abdominal tergite is granulated. An anterior transverse series of fully developed retrorse tubercles on abdominal tergites 4 to 8, less developed on tergite 9, tubercles terminally with several pronounced, irregularly arranged, acute processes and terminal seta.

→ Dermestes rattus 

20b. Frons with two tubercles at anterior margin. (Species group: marmoratus) Go to question: 21

 

21a. The urogomphi are directed backwardly and curved downwards. No small oblong non-pigmented area on the lateral sides of the prothoarcic tergite. Dorsally with moderately broad, median yellowish stripe, pronotum incompletely devided by moderately broad stripe. Abdominal tergites each with a series of fine short setae immediately anterior and posterior to the fine anterior tergal ridge. Retrorse tubercles entirely lacking.

→ Dermestes marmoratus 

21b. The urogomphi are pointed upwards and a small oblong non-pigmented area with a pigment spot inside is present on each lateral side of the prothoracic tergite. Go to question: 22

 

22a. Body dorsally with broad, median, yellowish stripe extending posteriorly from anterior margin of the pronotum. Tergites mostly dark brown to black. Urogomphi quite long and curved forward. An anterior transverse series of fully developed retrose tubercles on abdominal tergites 4 to 9, tubercles terminally with small acute processes and terminal seta.

→ Dermestes caninus 

22b. Body dorsally with median, yellowish stripe extending posteriorly from anterior margin of the pronotum, dorsal stripe more narrow than those of D. caninus. Tergites mostly black. Urogomphi short and slightly curved forward.

→ Dermestes fasciatus 

Dermestes mustelinus: