Dermestid Beetle Bite

This Halloween season, learn how the National Museum of Natural History’s dermestid beetle colony transforms decaying animal carcasses into spotless skeletons. Emma Saaty The Smithsonian’s Osteo Prep ...

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Dermestid Beetles are fast and fastidious eaters. Dermestid Beetles are fast and fastidious eaters. They can pick a carcass clean in just days leaving even the most delicate bone structures intact.

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Flesh-eating beetles, called dermestids, are nature’s forensic scientists. The word “dermestid” derives from the Greek word meaning “skin,” and the insect is aptly named. These creepy crawlies will ...

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The Royal Ontario Museum employs dermestid beetles to help with their research, but those aren't the only spooky creatures lurking in the museum... Flesh-eaters and bloodsuckers are real, and you can ...

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The New York Times: Behind a Museum Door, These Beetles Are Eating Flesh for Science