Dermestid Beetle vs Lined June Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Dermestid Beetle Lined June Beetle
Scientific Name Dermestes maculatus Polyphylla decemlineata
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Dermestidae Scarabaeidae
Size 6-10mm 22-35 mm
Habitat Farmland Deserts & Drylands
Diet Omnivores Root Feeders
Regions Worldwide Western North America
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.

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Did You Know?

Natural history museums keep colonies of these beetles specifically to clean flesh from bones for skeletal displays.

Lined June Beetle

A large scarab beetle with striking white-striped elytra found in western North America. Males have enormous lamellate antennae used to detect female pheromones.

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Did You Know?

When handled, they produce a hissing sound by forcing air through their spiracles.