The Hide Beetle is a small, mottled brown-and-white dermestid beetle famous for its role in consuming dried animal material — skins, feathers, stored meats, and dead insects. Museum conservators worldwide use colonies of dermestid beetles including this species to clean vertebrate skeletons for collections. Adults and larvae are associated with carrion and stored animal products.
Habitat
Carrion, dried hides, museum collections, and warehouses
Diet
Adults and larvae: dried animal protein, hides, and preserved specimens
How common
Common
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