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Genus of beetles From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dermestes is a genus of beetles in the family Dermestidae, the skin beetles. The genus is distributed worldwide.[1]
| Dermestes Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
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| D. lardarius | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Family: | Dermestidae |
| Subfamily: | Dermestinae |
| Tribe: | Dermestini |
| Genus: | Dermestes Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Type species | |
| Dermestes lardarius Linnaeus, 1758 | |
The larvae of these beetles feed on dead and dried animal material, including dead bodies, dried meat and fish, and body parts such as bone, hair, skin, and feathers. They are cannibalistic on occasion. They are pests of museums, where they feed on specimens such as dried insects and stuffed animals. They may be useful in museum settings as well, where they are used in facilities called dermestaria to clean tissue from skeletons.[2] Some species may play a role in forensic entomology when they are found on human corpses.[1][2]
As of 2013 there are about 92 species.[3]
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