''Dermestes maculatus'' is a species of

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

with a worldwide distribution, being present on all continents except

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

. In Europe, it is present in all countries.

Description

The adult beetle is 5.5-10 mm long, and black with a band of white hairs on either side of the pronotum. The antenna end in 3-segmented clubs. The apices of the elytra are serrated and end in small projecting spines. The underside of the abdomen is mostly white with black spots at the sides and end. The bodies of the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e are covered in

setae In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...

. The bottom of the

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...

is yellowish-brown while the dorsal surface is dark brown, usually with a yellow line in the middle. There are two urogomphi (horn-like protrusions) on the upper surface of the last segment, which curve upward and away from the tip of the abdomen. The

pupae A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

are oval-shaped, usually smaller than the larvae, and do not have setae. Usually, the last larval skin is present as a protective covering.

Biology

The species is often found underneath dead animals that have

decompose Decomposition or rot is the process by which dead organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter such as carbon dioxide, water, simple sugars and mineral salts. The process is a part of the nutrient cycle and is ...

d for several days to weeks. Their eating habits can cause a dead animal to become just a skeleton. When about to pupate, larvae search for a suitable site in meat or a non-food substance (e.g. wood), where they construct a pupation chamber. Pupae not in chambers are vulnerable to

cannibalism Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is well documented, b ...

. Because of this, larvae that are unable to find somewhere to pupate will delay becoming pupae.

Relevance to humans

The appearance of the beetle on decomposing remains of humans and other animals can be used to estimate

postmortem interval The post-mortem interval (PMI) is the time that has elapsed since an individual's death. When the time of death is not known, the interval may be estimated, and so an approximate time of death established. Postmortem interval estimations can ra ...

in cases of suicide, homicide, or unattended death. The adults generally arrive within 5 to 11 days following an animal's death. The larvae develop for five to seven weeks, and the adult beetles live for four to six months. The beetle feeds on

carrion Carrion () is the decaying flesh of dead animals, including human flesh. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures, c ...

and dry animal products. They are pests of the silk industry in Italy and India. Dried fish, cheese, bacon, dog treats, and poultry are some of the foods that the beetle gets into. One study found that larvae show no preference out of calf meat, chicken meat, and pellet feed for rodents. At one time the ravages of ''Dermestes vulpinus'' ow ''maculatus''were so great in the skin-warehouses of Victorian London, a reward of £20,000 was offered for an available remedy. The beetle has been known to parasitically feed on live

turkeys The turkey is a large bird in the genus ''Meleagris'', native to North America. There are two extant turkey species: the wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') of eastern and central North America and the ocellated turkey (''Meleagris ocellat ...

, leaving deep wounds. There is a known case of

papular urticaria Hives, also known as urticaria, is a kind of skin rash with red, raised, itchy bumps. Hives may burn or sting. The patches of rash may appear on different body parts, with variable duration from minutes to days, and does not leave any long-lasti ...

caused by ''D. maculatus'' larvae. This may have been caused by the irritant effect of the larval hairs or by an allergic reaction to proteins in the hairs.

''Dermestes maculatus'' is the species of carrion beetle typically used by universities and museums to remove the flesh from bones in skeleton preparation. Human and animal skeletons are prepared using this method and the practice has been in use for over 150 years. The beetles are especially useful for small animals with delicate bones.

References

External links

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''Dermestes maculatus''
at

Fauna Europaea Fauna Europaea is a database of the scientific names and distribution of all living multicellular European land and fresh-water animals. It serves as a standard taxonomic source for animal taxonomy within the Pan-European Species directories Infras ...

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1246046 maculatus Beetles described in 1774 Taxa named by Charles De Geer