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photo gallery of the beetle fauna of Germany

The larder beetle Dermestes frischii (family Dermestidae) is one of 17 representatives of the genus Dermestes in Germany. Both beetles and larvae are occasionally found on ham, bacon and other animal products, like dried fish, hides and horn and can cause damage to stored products, which is also the origin of their vernacular name. In the wild they feed on old, sundried carcasses and carrion, dry remnants of meat, but also hair and feathers, as dermestids are able to digest keratin. The distribution of Dermestes frischii ranges from the tropical regions of America and Africa to the whole holarctic region. In Germany, the species is one of the most common dermestids and is known to occur in all Federal States.