120 Forty-third Report on the State Museum. [24] 



Description of the Beetle and its Larva. 

 The beetle is of an oblong-oval form, black, except the basal-half 

 of its wing-covers, which are of a pale buff or brownish-yellow 

 color, within which, on each cover, are 

 (usually) three elongate black spots in an 

 irregular transverse row. The legs are short 

 and the head is bent downward and mostly 

 concealed by the broad thorax. In length 

 it measures three-tenths of an inch. It is 

 shown at c in the accompanying figure. The 

 larva which produces the beetle, represented 

 at a in the figure, is about a half-inch in 

 length when full-grown, dark-brown above, 

 Fig. 12.— Thebacon-beetle. whitish below, rather thickly covered with 

 Deemestes laedaeius ; a, brown hairs as long or longer than the 

 larvir'bri8tie^^g?eftiy^;n* greatest breadth of its body; these hairs, 

 larged ; c, the beetle. when magnified, present a peculiar biser- 



rated appearance, as shown at h. 



Introduced from Europe. 

 The Dermestes lardariui^ was introduced from Europe, where it has 

 been known for over two centuries, many years ago, and is now quite 

 generally distributed over our country. It has become thoroughly 

 naturalized, and is, we should judge from the accounts received, com- 

 mitting greater injuries here than in its old home. Associated with it, 

 and of similar origin, are several other destructive in-door pests, as 

 Dermestes vidpinus (figured on page 89 of our Fourth Report), which at 

 one time committed such ravages in the furs of the Hudson's Bay 

 Company in its store-houses in London that a reward of £20,000 was 

 offered for the discovery of a means for effectually destro^dng it; 

 Anthrenus scrophularice, the notorious carpet-beetle; Anthreniis varius, 

 the pest of insect and other animal collections in natural history; 

 Attagenus megatoma, also a carpet-beetle, etc., etc. 



Its Food. 

 Dermestes lardarius is particularly fond, as above stated, of bacon, 

 although it also preys upon other dried meats, as hams, etc., also 

 on cheese, peltry, skins, horns and hoofs of dead animals, feathers, 

 insects in museums, and mounted birds and mammals. Recently it 

 has been discovered as displaying a fondness for beeswax, as will be 

 hereafter noticed. It does not eat clothing of any kind, unless it 

 incloses, or is heavily charged with, fatty animal matter.* 



*Mr. Henshaw's statement that wool and silk are among its articles of food, may be 

 presumed to refer to the unmanufactured material. 



