About Hylecoetus dermestoides (Linnaeus, 1861)
Adult Hylecoetus dermestoides beetles measure 6 to 18 millimeters (0.24 to 0.71 inches) in length. Females are yellow-brown, while male colouring varies greatly, with most males being black. Males have characteristic maxillary palpi, where the second segment bears a large outgrowth covered in many long extensions and sensory hairs; this structure may help males locate females. The pronotum of these beetles has a distinct margin. Larvae of this species are 14 to 20 millimeters (0.55 to 0.79 inches) long, with slender, white, soft bodies. They have spoon-shaped mandibles and lack eyes. Their prothorax extends forward like a hood, and the last abdominal segment forms a long pointed spike. This spike distinguishes Hylecoetus dermestoides larvae from the larvae of Lymexylon navale, which do not have this feature. Hylecoetus flabellicornis is similar in overall appearance to this species, but Hylecoetus flabellicornis is rare. This beetle is distributed across the whole of Europe, and it is less common in Southern Europe.
