dermestid

noun

der·​mes·​tid (ˌ)dər-ˈme-stəd 

: any of a family (Dermestidae) of beetles with clubbed antennae that are very destructive to organic material of animal origin (such as dried meat, wool, or museum specimens)

dermestid adjective

Examples of dermestid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For comparison, the team used dermestid beetles to remove the birds’ soft tissues, and then directly examined each skeleton to make a final diagnosis. —Sarah Kuta, Popular Science, 4 Feb. 2026

These useful bugs include dermestid beetles, the bugs that strip flesh from dead animals. —John Kelly, Washington Post, 7 June 2023

According to the team, the molts came from the larval ancestors of modern-day dermestids. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 2 May 2023

Then the cleaning crew dries the skulls for a few days before putting them in a colony of dermestid beetles, which will eat off the rest of the fleshy bits. —National Geographic, 23 Aug. 2016

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Greek dermēstēs, a leather-eating worm, literally, skin eater, from derm- + edmenai to eat — more at eat

First Known Use

circa 1888, in the meaning defined above