The action of Dermestes maculatus (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) on bone remains: an actualistic taphonomy experiment

Abstract

To deepen the current knowledge about the effects of certain insects on the bone record of the Salado River Depression, we carried out an actualistic experiment using the species Dermestes maculatus (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) and modern bones of four faunal species of different size (Myocastor coypus, Dasypus hybridus, Ovis aries, Oryctolagus cuniculus). D. maculatus is a cosmopolitan beetle that colonizes surface carcasses in advanced stages of decomposition to consume dry muscle tissue. Occasionally, it can modify the bones and leave marks. 15 skeletal units with different states of integrity and amount of muscle tissue were disposed in a container with a colony of D. maculatus; then, a weekly record for six months was made by observing changes in the remains and in the behavior of the insects. Greater activity was observed in fractured specimens and with tissue. Subsequently, the bones were removed, cleaned, and analyzed with a trinocular microscope (8-40x). Few striae were recorded only on three specimens, one of them without fresh tissue since the beginning of the experiment. These results contribute to the available data regarding the modifications of D. maculatus on the bone record and its role as a taphonomic agent