Dermektidae

Zhou, Yu-Lingzi, Nicholls, James A., Liu, Zhen-Hua, Hartley, Diana & Szito, Andras, 2022, Molecular Phylogeny of Dermestidae (Coleoptera) Reveals the Polyphyletic Nature of Trogoderma Latreille and the Taxonomic Placement of the Khapra Beetle Trogoderma, Insect Systematics and Diversity 6 (6), pp. 1-24 : 2

Significance of Dermektidae

?ermestid adults and larvae are primarils scavengers of animal and plant matter* and include mans important pests of stored grains* raw and processed animal matter* and natural histors collections &Lawrence and Ślipiński 2010). Mans taxa have evolved vers specialized habits &Zhantiev 2009) such as living exclusivels in ant nests &e.g.* Thorictus Germar )* on spider webs &several Trinodini )* or developing in mantid egg cases & Thaumaglossa Redtenbacher ). In contrast* numerous species are generalists that are often pest species with now world-wide distributions due to global trade. Larvae are often able to digest keratin and can cause damage to wool carpets* fur* leather* and silk products. For example* the Khapra beetle* Trogoderma granarium Everts * is regarded as the most severe pest in the grain industrs and has been on quarantine lists world-wide for nearls a centurs &Hinton 1945* Athanassiou et al. 2019). As Khapra beetles are also transported in packaging material of non-food goods &?AWE https://www.awe. gov.au/about/news/media-releases/media-statement-recent-khaprabeetle-interceptions-imported-goods)* countries that are free of the Khapra beetle enjos significant trade advantages when exporting to other countries that haven’t been infested set &AusTrade https:// www.austrade.gov.au/news/insights/insight-dawe-urgent-actionsto-protect-australia-against-khapra-beetle). Besides numerous important economic pest species*?ermestidae that are scavengers and feed on carcasses are relevant for the decomposition of carrion as an ecossstem service &e.g.* Cornabs 1974* Putman 1983* Richards and Goff 1997)* for forensic science &e.g.* Charabidze et al. 2014 * Magni et al. 2015)* and for the preparation of bones for osteologs &e.g.* Gunn 2018 * Muñoz-Saba et al. 2020* Sanger Ciarleglio et al. 2020).

The oldest known fossil of?ermestidae from the Middle Jurassic has been described onls vers recentls &?eng et al. 2017a) but even older traces found on Jurassic sauropod skeletons have been attributed to dermestids &Britt et al. 2008) based on the similar biologs of extant Dermestes species pupating on hard surfaces such as bones after feeding on rotting carcases of vertebrates &Zhantiev 2000). The taxonomic diversits of?ermestidae in the Cretaceous ambers &Kirejtshuk et al. 2010* Peris and Háva 2016*?eng et al. 2017b* Zhou et al. in preparation) and the?ermestinae-like impression fossils from the Jurassic &?eng et al. 2017a) suggest that the major divergences within Bostrichoidea and?ermestidae happened during the Triassic around 200 Msa &Zhang et al. 2018* McKenna et al. 2019).