^ I 



-Vf 



I B R A 



R E C ~ : ' - 



fr MAY 1 







& 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE vtt 



be? • *ir*u S 



I 



MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATION No. 511 ' 



Washington, D. C. 



Issued April 1943 





CLASSIFICATION OF THE^DERMESTIDAE 

 (LARDER, HIDE, AND CARPET BEETLES) 

 BASED ON LARVAL CHARACTERS, WITH 

 A KEY TO THE NORTH AMERICAN 

 GENERA 



By Bryant E Hees, assistant entomologist, Division of Insect Identification 

 Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, Agricultural Research Admini- 

 stration 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 



Subfamily and generic relationships _ VV.V——S- 3 



Consideration of the genera of Anthreninae 5 



Taxonomic treatment of the family 6 



Family characters 6 



Key to the sub-families and" genera SSSSSS. 6 



Dermestinae g 



Attageninae VSSS.VSSSIV.~- 8 



Genus Aftagenus Latreille .VS.. 9 



Genus Novelsis Casey "" 9 



Trinodinae ~~~-~ 9 



Thylodriinae VVSSV.V. 10 



Anthreninae " """ 10 



Megatomini VSVVVS 10 



Genus Perimegatoma Horn VSSSS. 11 



Taxonomic treatment of the family— Con 

 Anthreninae— Continued. 

 Megatomini— Continued. 



Genus Trogoderma Latreille. 



Genus unnamed "~ 



Genus Thaumagtossa RedtenbacherV" ~ 



Genus Cryptorhopalum Guerin 



Genus Globicornis Latreille 



Genus Labrocerus Sharp . "~"~ 12 



Anthrenini ~_ 12 



Genus Anthrenus Fabricius ...... " 12 



Ctesiini, new tribe 12 



Genus Ctesias Stephens • 12 



Literature cited 13 



Illustrations "__"" 14 



INTRODUCTION 



• Ti J\ economic importance of the Dermestidae has long been recog- 

 nized by entomologists. In the larval stages its members feed upon, 

 damage, or destroy household furnishings, a large variety of goods 

 made of leather, hair, fur. wool, and silk, dried animal remains 

 museum specimens and exhibits, and insect collections. The larvpe 

 are also destructive to stored products of many kinds, including 

 bacon cheese, cork, seeds, cereals, and cereal products, and thev have 

 been known to damage telephone fuses and batteries containing lead 

 In rare instances the larvae of Aftagenus piceus (Oliv.) have caused 

 physical discomfort to human beings by their presence in the nasal 

 passages and sinuses. At one time in London the larvae of Dermestes 

 mdpmus F so injured skins and furs stored in warehouses that a 

 reward of £2,000 was offered for an effective means of destroying 



500255—43 1 " 



