104 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Art. XII. — On the Hahits of Dermestes vulpinus. 



By X. T. Potter. 



{Bead before the Auckland Institute, 20th June, 1898.] 



This is a very destructive beetle which I have had under 

 observation for the last three years, having first noticed its 

 larvae in a building in Whaugarei in December, 1895. Since 

 then I have carefully noted its metamorphoses each season. 

 This insect has been imported here, very likely in bones from 

 Sydney. It is placed amongst occasional agricultural pests in 

 England and America on account of its ravages — which are 

 well known — on skins and hides. It is unnecessary to enter 

 on these here ; but its injuries to bones and w^ood seem much 

 less known, and therefore a few remarks may be of interest. 



The average size is about fin. long. The shape is some- 

 what narrow and flattened. The general colour above 

 brownish or greyish-black, with more or less very short pale 

 fine hairs, and white pubescence on the head; a broad band 

 along each side of the thorax or fore-body being much more 

 thickly covered with longer and whiter hairs, so as to show 

 clearly, like a long white or grey patch ; beneath the abdomen 

 quite white. 



The beetle, I believe, will propagate on grease, or dirt of 

 that nature, but only in very hot weather. The larvge are 

 very hairy, and in length average over ^in., and when about 

 to change to the pupa state will burrow into the sound wood- 

 work of a building, which in some cases is reduced to a honey- 

 comb. The largest specimens noticed by me were a little over 

 fin. long by -j^-in. in diameter, subcylindrical, tapering 

 gradually to the tail, more bluntly to the head ; general 

 appearance brown above, whitish below, excepting towards 

 the hinder extremity, where the brown colour turns down, as 

 it were, from the upper side, and extends beneath to the tail ; 

 a pale yellowish-brown line runs along the centre of the back 

 above, and between each segment there is usually a yellowish 

 line. Above the tail, which is bluntly pointed, are two some- 

 what thorn-like processes. Head dark-brownish, as also the 

 six clawed legs. 



The eggs are hatched in from four to seven days, and the 

 newly hatched grubs, which at first were almost white, in a 

 few hours took the ordinary colouring, and buried themselves 

 in their food. After moulting several times, the full-grown 

 grub formed a chamber in its food material, or in any other 

 convenient locality at hand, when it curled itself up, loosely 



