dermestid
English
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Dermestes_lardarius.jpg/220px-Dermestes_lardarius.jpg)
Noun
dermestid (plural dermestids)
- (zoology) Any beetle of the family Dermestidae, most of which are scavengers that feed on dry animal or plant material.
- 1968, Milton Hildebrand, Anatomical Preparations[1], page 23:
- Stray dermestids are a great hazard in a biology department.
- 1983, Richard E. White, Beetles, Peterson Field Guides, page 194,
- Some small dermestids are found in bee or wasp nests, where they feed on old pollen stores or on dried remains of bees or wasps.
- 2010, George Hangay, Paul Zborowski, A Guide to the Beetles of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, page 133,
- In nature, dermestids can be found on old, dry carcasses, in bird and mammal nests, while the adults of some species visit flowers, where they feed on pollen and nectar.
Synonyms
- (any species of family Dermestidae): dermestid beetle, skin beetle(Please check if this is already defined at target. Replace
{{vern}}
with a regular link if already defined. Add novern=1 if not defined.)