[Nhcoll-l] Hide beetles

[Haff, Tonya (NCMI, Crace)]

Hello all,

I was wondering if any of you could provide insight into Dermestes maculatus, the hide beetle. I just read a paper (Strang & Jacobs 2019) stating that D. maculatus was not able to live outside the colony (at the Smithsonian) due to 'humidity and other requirements', but sadly there wasn't a citation. Likewise, I have seen dermestid colonies housed inside collection buildings (such as at the Field Museum), apparently with no threat to the skin collections also housed nearby. I have not been able to pin point down why hide beetles wouldn't be a threat to museum specimens, but I would love to hear any experiences with them or thoughts on what their infestation risk is to collections. They certainly can eat a lot when they get going! I would love it if I didn't have to feel a slight sense of existential dread every time I put a newly created skeleton specimen away (thoroughly cleaned and decontaminated, but still...).

Thanks!

Cheers,

Tonya
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20210730/70b97875/attachment.html>