The available species

Dermestidae are the family of skin beetles. These beetles are xerophilous necrophages and such a combination of characters distinguishes this group from all other beetles and nearly all other insects. The biology of the species is important to know if you decide to keep dermestid beetles for a certain purpose. The species that eat the remains of larger animals are more fit to beetle-clean skeletons, whereas species that prefer to eat dead insects are better used as a clean-up crew. It is best to keep the beetles in a similar temperature and humidity as the habitat of their distribution. Within this natural range of conditions, the general rule is: the warmer the temperature and the higher the humidity, the faster the beetles breed and eat. Some species gain the ability to fly at certain temperatures. Food need to be present at all times for the larvae, since they have a high metabolism and will die of starvation quickly. If they are depleted of anything to eat, they will start to cannibalize in order to survive.

The genus Dermestes can be devided into subgenera. One being the subgenus Dermestinus, whom I dubbed the “white-bellies”. Another one being the subgenus Dermestes, whom I dubbed the “black-bellies”. The subgenus Dermesinus comprises the species which develop on carcasses lying on the soil surface and the subgenus Dermestes unites the forms living in bird nests. Dermestinus can be subdivided into two groups: necrobionts and herpetobionts. Species of the former group develop on the carcasses of vertebrates, and those of the latter group feed on dead bodies of invertebrates.

Subgenus Dermestinus

(white-bellies)

Dermestes maculatus

Description: The adults are 5.5 to 10 mm long. The elytra are brownish to black and have, in contrary to D. frischii, a little sharp tip at the end. The underside of the adult beetles are mainly white with a black spot on the last segment of the abdomen. The shape of this spot is an identification key for this species. Full-grown larvae are 10 to 14 mm long. The larvae are dark-brown in colour and have a light-brown median stripe across their back.

Biology: This species can be found on carrion. The optimum temperature is in the range of 30-35°C and the minimum is 20°C. The upper temperature limit is 40°C. They can develop in humidities of at least 30% RH and their optimum is about 75% RH.

Distribution (GBIF, 2026):

Common name:
Hide beetle

Dermestes frischii

Description: The adults are 6 to 10 mm long. The elytra are brownish to black and have, in contrary to Dermestes maculatus, rounded tips. The underside of the adult beetles are mainly white with a black spot on the last segment of the abdomen. The shape of this spot is an identification key for this species. Full-grown larvae are 10 to 14 mm long. The larvae are dark-brown in colour and have a light-brown median stripe across their back.

Biology: This species can be found on carrion. These beetles are relatively tolerant of salt and can be found on dead marine fish. The optimum temperature is in the range of 30-35°C and the minimum is 20°C. The upper temperature limit is 40°C. They can develop in humidities of at least 30% RH and their optimum is about 75% RH.

Distribution (GBIF, 2026):

Common name:
Fringed larder beetle

Dermestes undulatus

Description: The adults are 5 to 7 mm long. The head and thorax are speckled reddish brown and the elytra are speckled dark grey. The underside of the adult beetles are mainy white with a black spot at the end of the abdomen. The full-grown larvae are 8,5 to 10 mm long and almost entirely black in colour.

Biology: This species can be found on carrion. The optimum temperature is in the range of 22-35°C and the minimum is 15°C. The upper temperature limit is 30°C. Their optimum RH is about 65%.

Distribution (GBIF, 2026):

Dermestes murinus

Description: The adults are 7 to 9 mm long. The head, thorax and elytra are a mottled pattern of bluish grey. The underside of the adult beetles are light in colour, but not the typical white. The colour is best described as a pastel pink hue. The full-grown larvae are 10 to 12,5 mm long and almost entirely black in colour.

Biology: This species can be found on carrion.

Distribution (GBIF, 2026):

Sound (stridulation) of this species:

Subgenus Dermestes

(black-bellies)

Dermestes haemorrhoidalis

Description: Adults are 6 to 9,5 mm long. The elytra are dark brown to black. The underside of the beetle or dark coloured and tend to have a golden shine to them due to a layer of satae (hair-like structure). Full-grown larvae are 10 to 15 mm long. The larvae are brown in color with light-brown bands deviating the different segments of the body.

Biology: This species can be found on carrion and in wet bird nests. These beetles can also feed on some plant materials including grains. The optimum temperature is in the range of 27-30°C and the minimum is 15°C. The upper temperature limit is lower than 40°C. They can develop in humidities of at least 40% RH and their optimum is about 75% RH.

Distribution (GBIF, 2026):

Sound (stridulation) of this species:

Common name:
African larder beetle

Dermestes lardarius

Description: The adults are 7 to 9,5 mm long. The elytra are black with a very recognizable orange band across them. There are three dark spots per elytron within the band. The underside of the adult beetles are dark coloured. Full-grown larvae are 10 to 15 mm long. The larvae are brown in color with light-brown bands deviating the different segments of the body.

Biology: This species can be found on carrion, in wasp nests and in wet bird nests. These beetles can also feed on plant material. The optimum temperature is 25°C or slightly higher and the minimum is about 15°C. The upper temperature limit is 30°C. They can develop in humidities of at least 40% RH and their optimum seems to near 80% RH.

Distribution (GBIF, 2026):

Sound (stridulation) of this species:

Common names:
Larder beetle, Bacon beetle, Moisture Bug

Dermestes ater

Description: The adults are 7 to 9 mm long. The elytra are dark brown to black. The underside of the adult beetles are brown and have medial and lateral brown spots on a dark-brown background. Full-grown larvae are 10 to 14 mm in length and almost entirely black in colour, but a median stripe can be present.

Biology: This species can be found on carrion. It is an arboreal species that is capable of flight at low temperatures. This species can eat a variety of animal and
plant materials. The optimum temperature is in the range of 27-30°C. The upper temperature limit seems to be close to 40°C.

Distribution (GBIF, 2026):

Sound (stridulation) of this species:

Common names:
Black larder beetle, Incinerator beetle

The life cycle of dermestid beetles

Click on the images to see their caption:

Eggs are laid singly or in batches. The beetles often lay their eggs in small spaces near the food source, for example between the layers of cardboard. In these spaces the eggs are relatively save from turmoil within the colony. The eggs take around a few days to hatch. Thereafter, the larvae moult a few times to get bigger. A larva can be big enough to pupate after one or two months and you might notice that it starts wandering around in search for a save spot. They prefer to bore themselves into certain materials to pupate, like wood or styrofoam. In the absence of suitable hiding places, the larvae dig themselves into the soil before pupation. The pupal period is about a week. Once the adults emerge from the pupae, the female beetles will experience a so called ‘preoviposition period’. This means that they will not lay eggs immediately. It takes 5 or 6 days for the females to start laying eggs. Synthetic fur is also a suitable medium for oviposition. The adults are long-lived and the adult phase is longer than their larval phase.

Sex determination in adult beetles


It is quite easy to see the difference between male and female adult beetles. The male genetalia of a beetle appears as three small "threads" - the median lobe is in the middle with a paramere on each side. The male inserts only the tip of the median lobe into the female genital opening during mating and the parameres remain outside. The female genetalia may show as a broad extension - this is the genital pocket. Once the female beetle lays eggs, the ovipositor comes out. The ovipositor is of quite a length to lay the eggs in the depths of a safe space. 

The presence or absence of a tuft of fur on the abdomen of the beetles (visible as dots) are also a key feature to determine the sex, altough the number of tufts in males differ per species. In Dermestes maculatus, D. frischii and D. haemorrhoidalis, specimens with a tuft of fur / dot on their second to last segment of the abdomen are male (figure 2). In D. undulatus, D. murinus, D. lardarius and D. ater, males have two tufts of fur / dots: one on their third to last segment and one on their second to last segment (figure 3). The beetles without a tuft of fur on the abdomen are female.

Figure 2:   A comparison between a male and female adult Dermestes frischii.

Figure 3:   A comparison between a male and a female Dermestes lardarius.

How to care for Dermestid beetles?

The basics of how to care for dermestid beetles are covered in a YouTube video called "How to: Care for dermestid beetles" uploaded by Dermestaria. Click on the red button to get redirected to the video.

Bibliography:

  1. CICRP: Insectes du Patrimoine Culturel, Insectes dangereux pour les oevres patrimoniales. Dermestes undulatus Brahm, 1790. Link.

  2. Fontenot E.A., Arthur F.H. & Hartzer K.L. 2014: Oviposition of Dermestes maculatus DeGeer, the hide beetle, as affected by biological and environmental conditions. Journal of Stored Products Research 64(B): 154-159 p.

  3. Haines C.P. & Rees D.P. 1989: A field guide to the types of insects and mites infesting cured fish. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 303. FAO, Rome, 1989. 33 p.

  4. Herrmann A.: Pictures of some Dermestid Species. Link.

  5. Jacob T.A. & Fleming D.A. 1980: Some observations on the effects of temperature and relative humidity upon pupation, fecundity and the longevity of Dermestes lardarius L. (Coleoptera, Dermestidae). Journal of Stored Products Research 16(2): 79-80. DOI:10.1016/0022-474X(80)90042-9

  6. Martín-Vega D., Díaz-Aranda L.M., Baz A. & Cifrián B. 2017: Effect of Temperature on the Survival and Development of Three Forensically Relevant Dermestes Species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae). Journal of Medical Entomology 54(5): 1140-1150 p. DOI:10.1093/jme/tjx110

  7. Robinson W.H. 2005: Urban insects and Arachnids. A Handbook of Urban Entomology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 472 p.

  8. Sjöberg O. 1950: Drei neue Kaefer aus der borealen Region Schwedens. Entomologisk Tidskrift 71: 159-164.

  9. Zhantiev R. 2009: Ecology and classification of dermestid beetles (Coleoptera, Dermestidae) of the Palaearctic fauna. Entomological Review 89(2): 157-174. DOI:10.1134/S0013873809020055

 

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