Scarabaeoid-beetles
Guides
Trogidae
hide beetles, keratin beetles, skin beetles
Trogidae is a family of scarabaeoid beetles commonly known as hide beetles or keratin beetles. The family contains approximately 300 species in four or five genera, distributed worldwide. Members are characterized by a distinctive rough, warty, or bumpy exoskeleton and are specialized scavengers of dried animal remains, feeding on skin, feathers, fur, and connective tissue. They are among the last insects to colonize carcasses, appearing only after decomposition has advanced to the dry remains stage. The family's taxonomic placement remains debated, with some authorities treating it as a subfamily (Troginae) within Scarabaeidae.