Hide-beetle
Guides
Dermestes maculatus
hide beetle, skin beetle, flesh-eating beetle
Dermestes maculatus is a cosmopolitan hide beetle with worldwide distribution on all continents except Antarctica. Adults are 5.5–10 mm, black with distinctive white hair bands on the pronotum. The species is a specialized decomposer of dry animal tissues, with physiological adaptations enabling survival on desiccated carrion where competitors fail. It holds significant forensic value for estimating postmortem intervals and is widely used by museums and universities for skeleton preparation. Larvae are densely setose with paired urogomphi on the terminal segment.
Dermestes nidum
Dermestes nidum is a species of hide beetle in the family Dermestidae, described by Arrow in 1915. Like other members of the genus Dermestes, it is a scavenger associated with decomposing animal matter. The species is present in North America, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented in published literature.
Dermestes pulcher
Dermestes pulcher is a species of hide beetle in the family Dermestidae, first described by LeConte in 1854. Like other members of the genus Dermestes, this species is associated with carrion and decomposing animal matter. The species has been recorded in North America from Canada (Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Québec), though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Dermestes rattus
Dermestes rattus is a species of hide beetle in the family Dermestidae, described by LeConte in 1854. The species is currently listed as taxonomically doubtful in major databases. As a member of the genus Dermestes, it belongs to a group of scavenging beetles commonly employed in forensic entomology and museum specimen preparation for cleaning skeletal remains. The specific biology and ecology of D. rattus remain poorly documented compared to better-known congeners such as D. maculatus and D. lardarius.
Dermestes sardous
Dermestes sardous is a species of hide beetle in the family Dermestidae, a group of scavengers important as stored product pests, ecosystem recyclers, and forensic tools. Like other members of the genus Dermestes, this species is associated with carrion and dried animal remains. The species is known from North America, including the conterminous United States. As part of the subfamily Dermestinae, it shares the general characteristics of the genus: elongated body form, clubbed antennae, and association with decomposing animal matter.
Dermestes talpinus
hide and tallow dermestid
Dermestes talpinus, commonly known as the hide and tallow dermestid, is a species of carpet beetle in the family Dermestidae. It is native to North America and has been documented from dry bones and carrion in advanced stages of decomposition. The species is smaller than many congeners and can be distinguished by its distinctive scale pattern: gold or coppery scales on the pronotum and silvery scales on the elytra.
Dermestes undulatus
carpet beetle, hide beetle
Dermestes undulatus is a hide beetle in the family Dermestidae. It has forensic importance due to its colonization of dried remains. Development is temperature-dependent, with faster development at higher temperatures. The species occurs in both North America and Europe, and is considered scarce in the United Kingdom where it was recently rediscovered in Wales.
Omorgus asper
Rough Hide Beetle
Omorgus asper is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, first described by LeConte in 1854. The species occurs in the southern United States and Mexico, where it inhabits arid and semi-arid environments. Like other Trogidae, it is associated with carrion and animal remains, playing a role in decomposition processes.
Omorgus fuliginosus
Omorgus fuliginosus is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, found in North and Central America. Adults measure 13–15 mm in length. The species occurs in arid and semi-arid regions from Texas south through Mexico to Costa Rica and El Salvador. Like other Trogidae, it is associated with carrion and animal remains.
Omorgus howelli
Howell's hide beetle
Omorgus howelli is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, native to the southern United States. First described in 1957, it was historically classified under the genus Trox but was reassigned to Omorgus in 2006 based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence. The species occurs in Florida and Texas, with additional records from Mexico and Peru. Like other Trogidae, it is associated with decomposing animal remains.
Omorgus inflatus
Omorgus inflatus is a species of hide beetle in the family Trogidae, described by Loomis in 1922. Members of this genus are commonly known as skin beetles and are associated with decomposing animal matter. The species has been recorded from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Omorgus punctatus
Omorgus punctatus is a species of hide beetle in the family Trogidae, distributed across the southwestern and central United States and northern Mexico. The species is associated with carrion and dry animal remains, typical of the family. Adults are characterized by their punctured elytra, which contributes to the species epithet 'punctatus'.
Omorgus rubricans
Omorgus rubricans is a species of hide beetle in the family Trogidae, first described by Robinson in 1946. The species belongs to a genus known for its association with carrion and dung, playing important roles in decomposition. It is found in parts of Mexico and the southern United States.
Omorgus scabrosus
Omorgus scabrosus is a species of hide beetle in the family Trogidae, found across much of North America from Canada to Mexico. The species belongs to a family specialized in feeding on dried animal remains. Its distribution spans diverse habitats including grasslands, woodlands, and desert edge environments.
Omorgus scutellaris
Omorgus scutellaris is a species of hide beetle in the family Trogidae. It occurs in the south-central United States and northern Mexico. Like other trogids, it is associated with decomposing animal matter. The species has been documented from sand dune habitats in Texas and is attracted to ultraviolet light.
Omorgus tesselatus
Omorgus tesselatus is a species of hide beetle in the family Trogidae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1854. Like other members of this family, it is a scavenger associated with decomposing animal matter. The species occurs in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America and Mexico. Adults have been observed active at night in sandy habitats, where they may be encountered walking on the ground or attracted to ultraviolet light sources.
Omorgus texanus
Omorgus texanus is a skin beetle in the family Trogidae, first described by LeConte in 1854. The species is known from Texas in the United States and extends south into northeastern Mexico (Nuevo León, Tamaulipas). Like other members of the genus, it is associated with dry, sandy habitats and has been observed feeding on dried animal matter. The species is part of a diverse genus of hide beetles that play important roles in decomposition and nutrient cycling in arid environments.
Omorgus umbonatus
Omorgus umbonatus is a species of skin beetle in the family Trogidae, first described by LeConte in 1854. Members of this family are commonly known as hide beetles or skin beetles, and are typically associated with dry animal remains. The species is known from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Trox
hide beetles
Trox is a genus of hide beetles in the family Trogidae, subfamily Troginae. The genus currently contains approximately 70 species divided among three subgenera: Trox (Trox), Trox (Niditrox), and Trox (Granulitrox). These beetles are specialized scavengers that colonize animal remains in advanced stages of decomposition, feeding on dried skin, hair, feathers, and connective tissue. They are among the last insects to visit carcasses, appearing after most other carrion fauna have departed. The genus has undergone significant taxonomic revision, with former subgenera Phoberus and Glyptotrox elevated to full genera and numerous species synonymized.
Trox fascifer
hide beetle
Trox fascifer is a species of hide beetle in the family Trogidae, found in western North America including California and British Columbia. As a member of this family, it is associated with decomposing animal remains, particularly dried skin, hair, feathers, and other keratinous materials. The species was described by LeConte in 1854.
Trox foveicollis
hide beetle
Trox foveicollis is a species of hide beetle in the family Trogidae, currently classified under the genus Glyptotrox. The species is known from the central and eastern United States and adjacent Canada. Like other hide beetles, it is associated with decomposing animal remains in advanced stages of decay.
Trox frontera
Trox frontera is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, first described by Vaurie in 1955. It is currently treated as a synonym of Glyptotrox frontera. Members of this genus are cryptic beetles that specialize in consuming dried animal remains, including skin, hair, feathers, and connective tissue. They are among the final colonizers of carcasses, arriving after most other insects have departed.
Trox gemmulatus
Hide beetle
Trox gemmulatus is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, native to arid and semi-arid regions of western North America. These beetles specialize in consuming desiccated animal remains, including dried skin, fur, feathers, and connective tissue. Adults are typically 8–11 mm in length and are known for their rough, debris-caked appearance and thanatosis behavior—feigning death when disturbed. The species is most active during spring and is frequently associated with the final stages of vertebrate decomposition.
Trox hamatus
Hide beetle
Trox hamatus is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, currently classified under the genus Glyptotrox. It is a Nearctic species found primarily in the eastern and central United States and southern Canada. Like other trogids, it feeds on dried animal remains, including skin, hair, feathers, and connective tissue. The species was described by Robinson in 1940 and is now treated as a synonym of Glyptotrox hamatus in modern classifications.
Trox laticollis
hide beetle
Trox laticollis is a species of hide beetle in the family Trogidae. It is found in North America. Like other members of its genus, it is associated with decomposing animal remains, particularly dried skin, hair, and connective tissue in the later stages of carcass decomposition.
Trox paulseni
Trox paulseni is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, described by Brett C. Ratcliffe in 2016. It is currently recognized as a synonym of Glyptotrox paulseni. Like other trogids, it belongs to a group of beetles specialized in consuming dried animal remains. The species has been recorded from Kansas and Nebraska in the central United States.
Trox plicatus
Trox plicatus is a species of hide beetle in the family Trogidae, described by Robinson in 1940. The species belongs to a genus specialized in consuming dried animal remains during the final stages of decomposition. Like other trogids, it is adapted to cryptic existence among carrion debris. It has been documented from the southwestern United States and central Mexico.
Trox robinsoni
Trox robinsoni is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, described by Vaurie in 1955. Members of this genus are specialized decomposers that colonize carcasses in advanced stages of decay, feeding on dried skin, hair, feathers, and other keratinous materials when little else remains. The species occurs in the north-central United States and central Canada.
Trox scaber
Hide beetle, Scarab beetle
Trox scaber is a small hide beetle in the family Trogidae, measuring 5–8 mm. It has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution and is strongly associated with bird nests, where both adults and larvae develop. The species feeds on dried animal remains including skin, feathers, fur, and small dry carcasses. It is characterized by rough, sculptured elytra and pronotum with distinctive bristly scales, and exhibits a remarkable death-feigning behavior when disturbed.
Trox spinulosus
Hide beetle
Trox spinulosus is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, a group of scarab beetles that specialize in consuming dried animal remains. The species was described by Robinson in 1940 and is currently treated as a synonym of Glyptotrox spinulosus in some taxonomic databases. Like other trogids, it is associated with the final stages of carcass decomposition, feeding on desiccated skin, hair, feathers, and connective tissue. These beetles are cryptic in appearance and behavior, often caked in debris and feigning death when disturbed.
Trox striatus
Hide beetle
Trox striatus is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, occurring in the Nearctic region of eastern North America. Like other members of its genus, it specializes in consuming dried animal remains during the final stages of decomposition. The species has been recorded from scattered localities across the northeastern and midwestern United States and adjacent Canada.
Trox terrestris
Hide beetle, Hide and tallow beetle
Trox terrestris is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, closely allied to scarab beetles. The species has been reclassified under Glyptotrox terrestris in some taxonomic treatments. These beetles specialize in consuming dried animal remains, including skin, hair, feathers, and connective tissue during the final stages of carcass decomposition. They are known for their cryptic appearance and thanatosis behavior.
Trox tuberculatus
hide beetle
Trox tuberculatus is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, a group of scarabaeoid beetles specialized in feeding on dried animal remains. The species occurs in the Nearctic region, with records from multiple U.S. states. Like other Trogidae, it is associated with the late stages of carcass decomposition, consuming dried skin, hair, feathers, and connective tissue. The beetle exhibits characteristic defensive behaviors including thanatosis (death-feigning) and debris-covering that render it cryptic and difficult to detect.
Trox unistriatus
Trox unistriatus is a hide beetle in the family Trogidae, a group closely related to scarab beetles. Like other members of its genus, this species specializes in consuming dried animal remains, including skin, hair, feathers, and connective tissue. It is found across much of North America, with records from Canada and the United States. The species exhibits typical trogid behavior: freezing in a rigid posture when disturbed and accumulating debris on its body for camouflage.