Dermestid Beetle vs Hemiandrus Earwig
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Dermestid Beetle | Hemiandrus Earwig |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dermestes maculatus | Hemimerus talpoides |
| Order | Coleoptera | Dermaptera |
| Family | Dermestidae | Hemimeridae |
| Size | 6-10mm | 8-12 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Farmland |
| Diet | Omnivores | Omnivores |
| Regions | Worldwide | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Dermestid Beetle
A small dark beetle with white undersides used by museums and taxidermists to clean skeletons. Larvae are covered in bristly hairs.
Did You Know?
Natural history museums keep colonies of these beetles specifically to clean flesh from bones for skeletal displays.
Hemiandrus Earwig
A blind, wingless earwig that lives exclusively as a commensal on giant pouched rats. Its cerci are modified into short, unsegmented claspers rather than the typical forceps.
Did You Know?
Unlike all other earwigs, Hemimerus gives birth to live young that develop inside the mother via a placenta-like structure.