Thanatophagous
Guides
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.