Dermestes maculatus
The ratio of larvae and adult beetles that you will receive are random.
The number of beetles is estimated by weight. Approximately 20 late stage larvae weigh 1g, as do 24 adult beetles. Using the largest larval stage as a gauge, 7,5g of mixed stage larvae and beetles will have at a bare minimum 150 individuals. Over winter, during the months of reduced breeding, this is usually pretty accurate. However over summer when there is a lot more breeding happening, 7,5g could easily be 300 to 400 if there are lots of young larvae in the mix.
The beetles are always sent with a tracking code, so that you can track the shipment.
Dermestes maculatus:
This is the most commonly kept species for cleaning skeletons and that is for a reason: they clean bones very quickly in warm conditions!
Distribution: Cosmopolitan. In temperate regions it is limited to heated facilities.
Origin: United States, WA. In my care since 2019. This particular lineage is being bred in captivity for over 20 years (before 2005).
Description: The adults are 5.5 to 10 mm long. The elytra are brownish to black and have, in contrary to Dermestes 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 (see Figure 1). 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.
Another identification key between this species and D. frischii, is the pattern of the light-colored satae on either side of the thorax. In D. maculatus, this pattern is more simplistic with a small spike pointing towards the middle of the thorax (see Figure 2).
There is also a difference in the appearance of the larvae of the two species. In D. maculatus, the dorsal stripe is uninterrupted and thus is also present just behind the head of the larva on the pleurite of first thoracic segment (see Figure 3).
